Search the Community

Hey guys, The last few days have been super hard I just want to eat all the time I feel so empty! I know its mainly head hunger and at nearly 8 weeks out it is my mind fighting against the changes I have made. I miss eating more! I have had slight cravings for junk food lately but I will not eat it because I know it will do me absolutely no good and it will make me worse off. I haven't eaten any of it since before my surgery and have no plans to in the future. As a recovering food addict a little bite would be a massive trigger to eat way too much and I can't deal with that. I know I have been addicted to food pretty much my whole life but I honestly didn't think that my addiction was as bad as it clearly is. I don't regret having the surgery and having lost 2 stone 6lbs is amazing in such a short time, it's just so hard to get used to the huge life change. I am all in and will continue eating healthy unprocessed food because my body loves it and I feel so much better physically. It's taking my mind a long time to catch up though and I'm struggling. I have heard plenty of ideas about finding a hobby and doing things to focus my mind away from food but I need to face up to my food demons and learn to live with them. I don't want to avoid these feelings coming up, they need to be dealt with. So I journal when it gets too much and I post on here too. I'm just looking for some one who understands how I feel and who can tell me it gets better! Thanks again guys x

After three months I would have thought everything is healed sufficiently for nothing to open just from eating or moving but I'm no expert. If you are in pain or have serious concerns call your doctors office to see what they recommend, I have made the egg bites a few times and varied the recipe but the most recent one I logged on MyFitnessPal was;

That definitely sounds like depression to me. If it’s not impacting your daily living significantly (I mean it’s not the end of the world if you have a bad hair day but if your not doing other basic hygiene for days then that could become a medical issue). If you are safe and not suicidal or anything you could try to just ride it out giving yourself permission to just give into it for a few days or a week if that’s what it takes to get through it. In Dialectical Behavioral Therapy they call it “riding the wave” and I spent a lot of time and money in an intense outpatient therapy program to learn that the technique is as simple as it sounds and it truly does work for me sometimes. If giving yourself permission to feel all of your feelings and do as little or as much as you gotta do (anything not harmful to yourself or anyone else of course) doesn’t work then you may need to seek professional help. Talk therapy can be quite helpful but a prescribing physician may also give you something temporary to help you feel up to taking better care of yourself if that’s what is necessary. Before my bipolar manifested and I was put on permanent meds, I had situational depression when I lost my grandfather and they put me on a low dose antidepressant for a short time because I didn’t cope very well. Just try to remember that depression is temporary and that you will feel more like yourself again even if you need to reach out for help getting there. ❤️

I’m still fairly new to the game (only 8 weeks out from sleeve surgery), but I look at it as I have invested a lot of money, time and energy into this surgery and so I want to make good choices now. I don’t want the money and hard work to go to waste. I am losing slowly but it’s still rewarding to see the pounds drop on the scale and it makes me want to keep making good choices.

Well that was a fun-filled week! I’m finally on the other side of Covid and feeling tons better. After far too much faffing, I got the antiviral meds on Tuesday evening and, all credit to them, they really do work. Thankfully the only side effect I had was a godawful taste in my mouth which everyone gets apparently. I need to test myself today, just to make sure I’m clear but I have to build up to ramming cotton buds up my nose! Hubby is now in the throws of Covid but without the antivirals as he’s not judged as ‘vulnerable’ so he’s white-knuckling it with just paracetamol for the symptoms. He was a total star last week though and really did look after me as I was floored with it. He’s doing OK-ish with it, still working from home but definitely not at full capacity. So, having a bit reset this week food-wise. I’m 5lbs up from my lowest weight which isn't the end of the world. I just need to tighten up my eating habits and think about what I’m eating. Our postponed anniversary dinner is on Saturday so fingers crossed my gains come off pretty quickly and things settle down in the next couple of weeks. I’ve heard nothing from the hospital regarding the MDT, which is OK. I’m back for bloods on Friday for checking my liver function. Hopefully it will have sorted itself out! I think my second blip was the beginning of Covid. I’ve not taken any of my RA meds in order to give my liver a rest and will hopefully get back to normal with them next week. Nothing else going on here. Just planning on pottering around this week and getting odd bits done. Have a happy, healthy week everyone! Onwards and Downwards 🙂

Nothing much to report this week, everything is just ticking over. Weight is stable, no losses this week after the unexpected losses of the week before. Happily going to the gym 3 times a week and I do feel improvements even if I can’t see them. Been to see my GP today (she’s the one who put me forward for Bariatric surgery) I’ve had a sharp pain smack bang in the middle of my chest. First time was a couple of months ago - it woke me up and lasted about 5 minutes or so. Could only be eased by sitting forward. Then nothing else until the pain happened again yesterday afternoon. The area still felt tender when I woke up this morning so rang the docs and actually got a face to face appointment - the shock!! Anyway, GP listened to my heart and chest, asked a stack of questions and came to the conclusion that it’s some sort of ligament pain where something is slightly out of alignment. I then explained about the endoscopy 💩show I had - pinned down, thrashing around etc and she thinks it could be caused by that as the timing adds up. She did ask if I was taking ibuprofen and I said no and explained about not taking anything until my next set of bloods (17th) in order to give my liver some breathing space. Advised to take after my bloods if needed as it will help recovery. Thankfully the gym isn’t causing any pain so I was cleared to carry on with that. We did have a chat about WLS and how everything has been so far. She is so incredibly supportive, it makes such a change. She said she’s updated with everything from the hospital and is really pleased with how things are going, so that was nice! So, that’s about it. Hope everyone is having a great week so far. Onwards and Downwards 😉

I went to the thrift store late this afternoon (Saturday) and bought a few things because I only have XL clothes and they don't fit anymore. I was sure I was in a size 12. NOPE. I'm in a size 10!!! I was absolutely FLOORED. I was a size 8 in the senior pic above. And I'm a 10 now. Ok WHAT??? I'm absolutely STUNNED. It was a pleasant surprise, I'll tell you that. But I'd be really happy to stop losing now lol I was at the same weight for a bit and thought I was at my body's new set point. Nope. Apparently I was in another stall. When it broke, I was down a few pounds again. It's like my body has a total mind of its own and likes to lose weight now no matter what I do. But either way, the fact that I can absolutely, literally go into any physical or online store and find something in my size, and have that something be cute and in-style and not just any random thing that fits.....that brings tears to my eyes for sure.

I've had the exact same thing. Op was on the 7th of October and I lost about 8kg (18lbs) in week one, and then no budging. But that's to be expected. Are you constipated? This can also help with weight retention. So can fluids and gas post op. Just stay the course and it will drop. Taking measurements and seeing your size go down can also help to stay motivated. You can do this!

I'm post post post menopausal lol and I still have serious cravings for about a week. My appetite goes sky high, I feel like a bottomless pit during those times. Our bodies continue to go through hormonal changes even without a menstrual cycle. To manage this, I use a period tracker to stay prepared for these fluctuations.

Went Jean shopping yesterday and my biggest struggle was everything looked good and with my size I had so many options. Then went to VS and was picking out size small panties and they are sexy. TMI but I wore a sexy piece for the mister and I felt really sexy in my skin. It was the best freaking feeling! Attached are the very first pair of pants I bought after WLS because my 20s were way too baggy. I don’t always do amazing with my choices in food- a struggle we all will forever be a struggle for me, but damn! I did this work, I put in work at the gym, I meal prep every damn week, and I track. I am humble bragging that I am proud of myself!

So, I'm 6 months post Sleeve. I'm 86 pounds down from surgery day, and about 116 pounds from my max weight. Body dysmorphia is a real thing I've experienced where I forget on the day to day how far I've come, but when co workers or friends see me they are super excited and happy for me. One picture is me back in January, wearing a denim vest that is 4xl and barely fits, and size 58 jeans... Now(2 weeks ago) down to a loose 2xl shirt, and a size 44 shorts. I almost cried like a month ago when I was able to buy clothes off the rack at Target for the first time since 2006. PS. Someone please teach me how to take a selfie lol IMG_3342.heic

The more I think about it the more I think the creons I take are a contributing factor. They slow your digestion down as it passes through the intestines so you can absorb more nutrients. It’s used for malabsorption of protein, carbs and fats. Adds to my occasional issues with constipation. Fun! I’ve always eaten lean meats and while I eat more dairy now it’s still only about two serves of the recommended three serves a day. Can’t do the low fat or skim milk as I drink lactose free milk and reducing the fat makes it taste incredibly sweet & I can’t tolerate it. And the high protein yoghurt I eat (isn’t sweet) isn’t available in low fat. PS - The coronary artery calcium test gave me a score of zero the best you can get. At least I have a base score now for future comparison.

Received a call at 8.30am this morning to be told that I was discussed in last Fridays MDT meeting and was accepted for surgery 🥳🥳🥳 I was then told I would be having a ‘One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass’ - huh?? The nurse repeated herself and I was still none the wiser. She said that she would ask a specialist Bariatric nurse to call me to discuss and would send me the info out. I asked for it to be emailed, which she did. I had a read through and did some more research on the internet, just to familiarise myself with what had been suggested. It’s the mini gastric bypass. The specialist nurse rang me just after 9am and explained that it meant that my ‘pouch’ is slightly bigger then that of a Roux-en-Y bypass and there is only one connection or ‘anastomosis’ which is from the pouch to the bowel. Apparently it’s not as complex with the op taking around 1.5hours and recovery just the same as the normal bypass plus the weight loss is expected to be the same. I was recommended it because of Fibromyalgia and the chronic pain I have with RA and osteoarthritis as it would be easier for me. That made sense, thankfully! The specialist nurse said it was a relatively new procedure to the hospital which is why it wasn’t discussed in any detail at the first education session I attended a few months ago. Fair enough, I’m happy to go ahead with it. The wait is around 4-6 months - oh 😒 I was honest and said that I was concerned about losing focus while I’m waiting and gaining weight once again (we all know how easy that is) She went through everything again with me - 3 meals a day, 20/20/20, use a portion plate if I have one (I do) focus more on my protein etc. She also said that if I do begin to struggle, to contact her and they would fit me in with the dietitian to go through things with me. I felt better for her saying that. I did reiterate that I am happy to take a cancellation. She said they do get cancellations but would have to make sure that I had at least 3 weeks notice to complete the LRD. I’ll be honest and say that I’m really, really hoping that the 4-6 months is on the outside and that the surgery is sooner! I know that whatever will be will be, so just to keep on keeping on. Gym is going well, 3 visits last week and I’m hoping for 3 more this week. I’ve upped my levels and weights and I’m burning around 600-650 cals in around an hour or so workout or so my Apple Watch tells me! I can feel muscle, it just happens to be deeply buried and camouflaged with fat 😮 I tried my smaller sized gym stuff on yesterday and, while I can get it on I wouldn’t say it actually fitted, so a few more pounds to go before I would feel comfortable enough to wear it. I bought a new black trench coat from Costco at the weekend. It’s been a very, very long time since I’ve been able to fit into clothing from there so that was a nice boost. It will definitely last me a reduction of a couple of sizes too. My weight is steady at the moment but I do hope to bring it down a little bit more before I have to do the LRD. Bloods to have taken yet again on Wednesday. If my liver is off this time then they will have to think of something else. I’ve not had my weekly jabs for 7 weeks, I’ve missed my other jab for 4 weeks plus no pain relief for 4 weeks either and it’s all wearing really thin with me now. I’m finding that I’m snapping at hubby because of pain and it’s not fair. The gym is really helping my range of movement but the pain remains. We’re out for belated birthday drinks on Friday (postponed because of blood tests ) and that’s about it. I’ve decided to crack on and make a start on wrapping Christmas presents this week. Thankfully my Christmas shopping is almost finished - hurray for sales! Wishing everyone a happy week 🥰 Onwards and Downwards!

well, i sort of had the opposite issue, as i wouldn't eat enough & and needed a reminder to eat.... but my M.O. would work for you as well i think: i would set a timer on my watch for a certain amount of time (i.e., 2-3 min earlier on, and like 1-2 min as i got further along). i'd take 1-2 BITES of whatever i had prepared for myself, put my fork down, and set the timer, it goes off, i take 1-2 BITES again. rinse and repeat. yes, it took me FOREVER to eat a meal, in the early months: like 60-90 mins omg. after a while (like 3-4 months) i was able to do it without the timer. in your case, if you feel you are eating more and/or faster than you should, i would suggest focusing on putting your fork down, and maybe, if it helps, maybe even physically remove yourself (i.e., walk away) until your timer goes off again. after a few weeks/months, you will form a habit and not need the timer anymore, it will become muscle memory. it may take weeks/months, but if you stick to it, you could totally do it. ❤️

It’s takes a little while. They have to transcribe everything and make it all official so it can go to the insurance. Some doctors don’t have anyone on staff to do that and they have to send it out so to speak. Mine was over a week.

I wish it were that simple, but it's not. We have to keep in mind that our weight is made up of a lot more than just fat. There are multiple body composition models used, but the one I recommend most people use when trying to lose fat is a 3 compartment model that consists of the following: Fat Muscle Bone I recommend this one since it's easy for most people to visualise those 3 components. Keep in mind however that roughly 70-75% of muscle mass is water. Why is that important? Because sometimes we can be fooled by the scale into thinking we're not losing fat, or that we're gaining fat when we're not. Most likely, what you're seeing is simply changes in water weight. A really common scenario is for people on low calorie diets (like most people here), to see a plateau and think that means they need exercise more and/or eat less, but when they do that, they actually gain a bit according to the scale. The reality is they didn't gain fat, they retained more water. I think it's important to keep in mind that we all have something called a Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This is the minimum number of calories your body needs simply to stay alive. It can be thought of as the number of calories you expend per day even if you were completely sedentary. BMR is a complicated subject, but on average, the bigger you are, the higher your BMR. Yes, it goes down as you lose fat, since fat is not completely metabolically inert, but fat loss does not have nearly the effect on BMR that losing muscle does. This is one of the main reasons bariatric patients are told to focus on protein intake because protein is needed to help prevent excessive muscle loss when dieting. More muscle = higher BMR = faster weight loss, or being able to eat more at goal weight The average BMR for women is ~1400 k/cal per day. Higher if you are taller or more muscular, lower if you are shorter and/or have lower muscle mass. Men, for obvious reasons tend to have a higher BMR that's more in the 1700 range. My point in telling you all of the above is that it's highly unlikely that someone eating 900 calories a day needs to eat even less if weight loss has stalled. Frankly, if that is the OP, then I'd actually recommend exactly the opposite: try upping your caloric intake a couple hundred k/cal per day and see what happens. I know it seems counter intuitive, but your body is not a simple machine where the calories in vs. calories out paradigm actually works. Happy to discuss more and provide additional info, but this post is already overly long. Best of luck.

at 1 month post op, i was cleared for everything. i didn't eat everything (by choice) but still. by 7 months post op (i.e., goal) i eating ALMOST everything...i didn't eat rice, bread, nor pasta/noodles (again by choice) i was also limiting sugar as i was/am a dumper. i would not have alot of it (if at all) at one time or on an empty stomach. like maybe one bite of cake, 2-3 licks of ice cream, etc on rare occasions. by 2 years post i got over my carb-o-phobia and started eating rice, bread, pasta/noodles, yay! still limited sugar though. today - i hit my 6-yr wls anniversary this week! - i still can/will eat/drink everything. i can eat more in volume now that i could at year 2, but still less than those around me. i can also now have maybe up to 1/2 a slice of cake without ill effects (but only if my stomach is not empty). i probably eat out 4-5 times a week, and order take out another 4-5 times a week. i used to cook alot more before, but the past couple years me and Mr. have been empty nesting, and its actually really hard and inefficient to cook for just two people! not counting the past month* or so, i average about 2300 cals a day for the past year (full disclosure: i exercise alot). so long story short, you will be able to enjoy food at your own discretion. how much of it will be up to you.

So glad to hear you're out the other end of the surgery OP. My advice is prioritise your fluid goals for the first week or two. Honestly vitamins and protein goal and almost everything else can be caught up on later if you can't make them right now.

Hey bari family ❤️ I know body dysmorphia is something that is really common in this community, and I did expect it of course, but I am really feeling it at the moment. To preface my feelings I am about to describe, I am PMS-ing so I know a lot of this is probably exacerbated by that! Either way, I have had such a noticable influx of people complimenting me on my weight loss at work this week - it seemed that there was no one mentioning it at all, and now every day this week I have had people come up to me and say/ask things like: "what is your big secret?", "you look amazing", "you're a skinny minny" etc. It hasn't been anything that I have taken offence to at all, but it has come during a week where I have felt so down about my appearance. I'd say this is the first time post-surgery where I have been looking in the mirror and just seen the 'old' me - I genuinely cannot see any loss, even though the scales & my clothes are telling me different. It is so saddening, normal, but sad. Anyway, that is my little reflection done with! What sorts of things did others do to get past this?

My whole life I used to think that. Through my adulthood (age 19-29) I was in great shape, worked out regularly, ate well and maintained a great physique. I always had the propensity to gain weight if I wasn't careful with how I ate and my activity level. I lost over 45 lbs and kept them off through staying active and eating well and my belief was, if I could maintain being in shape doing that, anyone can. It worked for me through 2 pregnancies and a whole decade. Fast forward when my hormones got out of control, I gained 10 kilos in 1.5 months, my weight kept going up, had a bad sports injury and in 5 years I was 30 kilos overweight. I still ate well and worked out 5 times a week but NOTHING WORKED and by nothing, I mean NOTHING not even injectables, not one pound lost, NADA, Zilch. I counted calories, walked 10k steps ...etc. the whole shebang. I was sad, depressed, so uncomfortable and I finally got how sometimes, you try your hardest but it just doesn't happen for you. It was so ironic because I was seen as the health guru who lectured people on how they should work harder and not create excuses (hard pill to swallow, I admit). I finally decided to give in the fact that my weight isn't going to budge dieting and working out like it did in the past. I bit the bullet and got the surgery. I lost a lot of weight fast, but went back to working out regularly and staying consistent and disciplined, I wouldn't have been this successful (not with just the weight lost, but my actual physique, being lean and fit and all) had I just gotten the surgery and depended on it to achieve what I had in mind, I had (and continue) to put in the work, choose to prioritize eating well, etc. Yes the surgery is a tool to HELP you lose weight and BUILD good habits. It doesn't do the work for you in the long run ,that is on you and how you utilize this tool that will determine your success. I would however (very general advise), suggest that before resorting to surgery, that one does try to see how far they can get naturally, and if they can't maintain/fall off the wagon/don't get to their goal weight or physique that they do utilize WLS, but it has to come with a mindset shift. I had that mindset, I just needed the kickstart. Evaluate where your body and MIND is because that is as important.

Today is my 1 year anniversary since surgery! It has been a wild ride! I am so glad I decided to get the surgery done. I used to get winded just walking up the stairs from my basement. Now I walk between 2-3 miles per night. Next on the agenda, possible skin removal next year and both knee replacements (holding out as long as I can). I have had continuous weight loss, however, I have stalled somewhat but still had small losses during those stalls. Keep on track and use this tool to its full advantages! I have been of Blood Pressure meds since surgery. I may not need my cpap any longer, but I haven't done another sleep study. STATS: I have lost a total of 227.2 pounds: 17.25 inches around my chest 32.5 inches around my belly button 27.25 inches around my waist 6.25 inches around my neck 4.5 inches on bicep 10 inches around my upper thigh 4.25 inches on my calf HW: 469.8 PreOp: 450.6 (19.2 pounds lost) SW: 430.8 (39 pounds lost) CW: 242.6 (227.2 pounds lost)

Oh my gracious. I remember there were a lot of issues with the earlier meshes they used for various surgeries years ago which must be what you’re experiencing. Let’s hope it’s an easy remedy. PS - the second lap smear was still inconclusive. It didn’t pick up cervical cells at all so still no idea. So decided after a conversation with the surgeon on Tuesday to progress with a hysterectomy just in case and also if it is nothing untoward it likely will still continue to grow & then may cause issues in the future. Surgery is in three weeks Monday. Have a few events so I put it off until after them.

Sure. She was concerned that I was eating too fast when I told her that I was eating my meals within like 5-10 minutes. She said that I can't do that with the surgery because not only will I be miserable with vomiting and diarrhea and nausea and the like but I likely would undo the gastric sleeve surgery. She said I should aim for eating my meals in 20-30 minutes preferably 30-40. This seems like an impossible goal for me especially when I see her again in just 2 weeks. She also wants me to savor each bite and focus on the food or something like that. I don't really understand it to be completely honest with you. Mostly I just wanted to work on eating slower over the next two weeks so that when I do get the surgery I don't get sick and undo the surgery and "pass" with her so I can get the surgery. I can fake my way out of the mindfulness part of it or just tell her that it won't work for me and if it's a crucial part of the surgery than maybe bariatric surgery isn't the right option for me.

@ShoppGirl I am having the same issues right now. I have been up and down the same 2 pounds for almost two weeks. It’s like the doctor jinxed me. He told me I should lose 20-25 pounds between my last appointment and the next visit in 8 weeks. Well, tomorrow makes 2 weeks since I have seen him and I have only lost 2.3 pounds. I am really struggling to get calories and rarely hit 600 for the day. I also struggle with my fluid goals. I can hit protein no problem. I still can only eat about 1/3 cup at a sitting and since I have zero hunger, it makes it hard. I feel like I am forcing myself to eat. I have committed to making the gym at least 4 days a week. Because my knees are “bone on bone” I am limited to which exercise machines are comfortable and walking is not. I think I may call the orthopedic surgeon and see about more shots for my knees. It is funny when you hear people that think this journey is easy. There is nothing easy about this.

So sorry you're struggling right now. I think if we're all being honest, we're ALL been there. I've said this before, but I strongly believe anyone that is or was obese has an eating disorder or at least suffers from disordered eating. You simply don't get that big unless you have an unhealthy relationship with food. The thing is, none of us magically got better by having bariatric surgery. If you think you need it, please reachout to a mental health professional to help you get back on track. If you don't feel ready for therapy, that's okay too. You have to do what's right for you. Just know that there is help out there if you need it. I want you to know that I personally have faith in you, even if you don't right now. You are an inspiration to many people here, me included. You've already shown how strong you are and how hard you're willing to work for your goals. I know this is just a temporary setback, and I'm guessing a lot of it was brought on by extra stress due to surgery and your routine being thrown off. As they say, this too will pass. I know you can get your mojo back, so please give yourself some grace. We're often our worst critics. I'm honestly just guessing based on your previous posts, but I'd think you're a very goal-oriented person. It might be beneficial to stop thinking "I need to get back on track". That's just too nebulous. Instead set yourself small, time-bound concrete goals. Only you can decide what those should be, but it might be as simple as "get at least 120 grams of lean protein tomorrow". Forget everything else that part of your personal idea about what "back on track" means and just work on that one small goal until it's become habitual. Only then, add in a new goal to work on. Just keep them small, easily attainable based on where you're at today, and make sure they have a time component such as my goal for tomorrow is..., or my goal this week is... you get the idea. If you need any help with diet or exercise as you work through this, please feel free to PM me and I'll do my best to help. Wishing you all the success in the world!