Happy Surgiversary To Me!

[Fading Grace]

:clap: I cannot believe how fast this year has gone by! Time flies when you're exercising your butt off! :massmoon:
Well to be honest, I don't exercise as much as I should. My exercise bike is sitting here gathering dust
I do swim at least twice a week, and now that I have my groovy waterproof MP3 player swimming is no longer a chore!
I've gone from a size 36-38 (29.5 stone) and I'm now a size 20-22 (19.5 stone)
Even though I’m still losing weight (very slowly now) I’m not dropping dress sizes, but that’s OK.
I'm going to aim to get to about 15.5 stone (size 16-18) then I'm hanging up my scales for good. I don't suit being too slim and I'm dreading getting the Shar-Pei look when my chubby face gets even slimmer lol

Compared to last year the change in my life is like night and day. I never truly believed that life would be good for me again, and all of the things that I thought I'd never be able to do, like buy clothes from most high street shops, get a full cuddle from my daughter instead of only half of one where her little arms couldn't reach around my huge belly, and no longer getting verbal abuse in the street is amazing! I could list a ton of other things that I can do now but I'd be here all day!
I’m really grateful to the NHS for giving me this amazing gift and I will not let them, or myself down!
I'd like to thank you all for your encouragement, helpful advice and always being there in my time of need and despair :heartpump:
I can't wait to see what next year brings! :banana dancer:

 

[Aidafi]

Hi Fading Grace, am so happy for you that your journey has been a success. i have also taken an interest in the gastric bypass and have discussed it with my GP. so how long did it take you to get the funding from the NHS?

 

[Yvessa]

Well done Grace You must be ever so pleased - you have done so well. And I can totally relate to all your nsvs....its remarkable how good 'normal' can feel.

 

[Fading Grace]

Hi Fading Grace, am so happy for you that your journey has been a success. i have also taken an interest in the gastric bypass and have discussed it with my GP. so how long did it take you to get the funding from the NHS?

Hi Aidafi,
Once I had found the right doctor (4th time lucky) who was willing to help me the process was in all about a year, and that year flew by very fast!
Once I had my pre op appointment with the hospital my op was within 8 weeks!
I wish you well in your journey should you decide that the bypass is the right option for you

 

[Fading Grace]

Well done Grace You must be ever so pleased - you have done so well. And I can totally relate to all your nsvs....its remarkable how good 'normal' can feel.

You have done... and are doing fabulous yourself! I've started to stall a bit in my weight loss but I'm OK with that as long as I don't gain!
How do you keep losing Yvessa? Do you do lots of exercise, constantly lower your calories or both? You're a wonder to me! lol

 

[Aidafi]

Hi Fading Grace,

I definitely need all the luck in the whole right now, will let you know of any updates

thanks

 

[Yvessa]

You have done... and are doing fabulous yourself! I've started to stall a bit in my weight loss but I'm OK with that as long as I don't gain!
How do you keep losing Yvessa? Do you do lots of exercise, constantly lower your calories or both? You're a wonder to me! lol

While I struggle with doing formal exercise I try to swim once a week and have a super active job. I watch my nutrition right now making sure my proteins are high enough and my carbs are at the right level and overall calories for the week stay at a reasonable level. I'm not super restrictive - almost the opposite in fact. I actually eat more often to try and get the necessary nutrition in. I did stall around feb time which was when I reassessed some of the choices I was making.

 

[lamb_reader]

:clap: I cannot believe how fast this year has gone by! Time flies when you're exercising your butt off! :massmoon:
Well to be honest, I don't exercise as much as I should. My exercise bike is sitting here gathering dust
I do swim at least twice a week, and now that I have my groovy waterproof MP3 player swimming is no longer a chore!
I've gone from a size 36-38 (29.5 stone) and I'm now a size 20-22 (19.5 stone)
Even though I’m still losing weight (very slowly now) I’m not dropping dress sizes, but that’s OK.
I'm going to aim to get to about 15.5 stone (size 16-18) then I'm hanging up my scales for good. I don't suit being too slim and I'm dreading getting the Shar-Pei look when my chubby face gets even slimmer lol

Compared to last year the change in my life is like night and day. I never truly believed that life would be good for me again, and all of the things that I thought I'd never be able to do, like buy clothes from most high street shops, get a full cuddle from my daughter instead of only half of one where her little arms couldn't reach around my huge belly, and no longer getting verbal abuse in the street is amazing! I could list a ton of other things that I can do now but I'd be here all day!
I’m really grateful to the NHS for giving me this amazing gift and I will not let them, or myself down!
I'd like to thank you all for your encouragement, helpful advice and always being there in my time of need and despair :heartpump:
I can't wait to see what next year brings! :banana dancer:

Congratulations and thanks for sharing! :553:
Can I ask, how much weight are you on average losing per week these days, being one year post op and all

 

[Karlos]

Great result so far Grace, and though it does get harder as we get to the year out stage I'm sure your success will continue.

Happy Surgiversary honeybunch

 

[Paula Garner]

Well done grace and happy surgiversary to you xx

 

[happy days]

Well done grace. Keep up the hard work and you will be slinky 16 in no time.

 

[Fading Grace]

While I struggle with doing formal exercise I try to swim once a week and have a super active job. I watch my nutrition right now making sure my proteins are high enough and my carbs are at the right level and overall calories for the week stay at a reasonable level. I'm not super restrictive - almost the opposite in fact. I actually eat more often to try and get the necessary nutrition in. I did stall around feb time which was when I reassessed some of the choices I was making.

Sadly I only work part time. I'm trying to get into full time work at the moment as that would surely help with my calorie burnage. Having dieting for so many years I don't count calories now or my protein intake as I find monitoring myself depressing as it reminds me of my food tortured years, but I think I should having read your reply

 

[Fading Grace]

Congratulations and thanks for sharing! :553:
Can I ask, how much weight are you on average losing per week these days, being one year post op and all

My weight loss at the moment is hideous. I'm not even losing a pound a week so I think I must need to lower my calories (which I don't count so that will be hard lol)
I think I'm going to go on the milk diet 2 days a week and eat mostly protein on my non milk days just to crank up my weight loss.
The only thing that I'm truly happy about is the fact that in one year I haven't gained at all, so I'm at the lowest weight I've been for at least 13 years, so I must be doing something right, but as Yvessa said, sometimes you have to reassess your food choices.
I really don't eat much "naughty" foods but I do have the odd packet of crisps or chocolate bar at weekends, but I want to live like a "normal" person who eats these things in moderation and not feel like I've just eaten a new born baby kitten! I still have so much food guilt it's depressing.

 

[Yvessa]

Sadly I only work part time. I'm trying to get into full time work at the moment as that would surely help with my calorie burnage. Having dieting for so many years I don't count calories now or my protein intake as I find monitoring myself depressing as it reminds me of my food tortured years, but I think I should having read your reply

For a very long time I felt this way but the key is to give yourself enough calories. This is not calorie counting for the sake of starving your body. It's to keep you in that optimum fat burning phase. I allow 1500 cals. I adjust if I feel necessary and sometimes I adjust upwards. I watch my macros more carefully and aim for a 40/35/25 split of protein fats and carbs. It's not about deprivation but getting that quality nutrition in. I also try not to obsess - so if I have a day where life happens, I try and correct course during the rest of the week. Because my life can get that busy and stuff can and does happen like I have to stay late or there's an emergency or my partner forgets toget the meat out of the freezer.

 

[lamb_reader]

My weight loss at the moment is hideous. I'm not even losing a pound a week so I think I must need to lower my calories (which I don't count so that will be hard lol)
I think I'm going to go on the milk diet 2 days a week and eat mostly protein on my non milk days just to crank up my weight loss.
The only thing that I'm truly happy about is the fact that in one year I haven't gained at all, so I'm at the lowest weight I've been for at least 13 years, so I must be doing something right, but as Yvessa said, sometimes you have to reassess your food choices.
I really don't eat much "naughty" foods but I do have the odd packet of crisps or chocolate bar at weekends, but I want to live like a "normal" person who eats these things in moderation and not feel like I've just eaten a new born baby kitten! I still have so much food guilt it's depressing.

I'm 15 weeks post op and I'm "only" losing about 2 pounds per week, so you're still doing really well!

 

[Yvessa]

My weight loss at the moment is hideous. I'm not even losing a pound a week so I think I must need to lower my calories (which I don't count so that will be hard lol)
I think I'm going to go on the milk diet 2 days a week and eat mostly protein on my non milk days just to crank up my weight loss.
The only thing that I'm truly happy about is the fact that in one year I haven't gained at all, so I'm at the lowest weight I've been for at least 13 years, so I must be doing something right, but as Yvessa said, sometimes you have to reassess your food choices.
I really don't eat much "naughty" foods but I do have the odd packet of crisps or chocolate bar at weekends, but I want to live like a "normal" person who eats these things in moderation and not feel like I've just eaten a new born baby kitten! I still have so much food guilt it's depressing.

Okay, this is not about food guilt or even eating less. I stalled because I was eating too little. Work days I would have a maximum of 800 cals. Then weekends were calorie dense, around 2000 cals. So on the days I was expending more energy I was eating way too little and it's not surprising my body couldn't lose. I still have treats. I make homemade protein icecream and protein based Cheescake so I can have my desserts with a feeling of virtue. You mustn't count cals if its going to make you feel like that hon, it will cause more harm than good.

 

[Yvessa]

While I agree with you, Grace has done fab so far, its so hard when your starting weight is double what some people start at. And realistically, the body cannot drop the weight any faster than mine has done and yet, I now weigh what some people weighed at the beginning of their journey. And ultimately that can be very difficult to deal with. I hope Grace doesn't feel that I am in anyway criticising her, as I'm really not, but I just think back to how I felt when my losses started to slow and I was still at around 20 stone. It was heartbreaking and I went through a very difficult time.

 

[Fading Grace]

I'm 15 weeks post op and I'm "only" losing about 2 pounds per week, so you're still doing really well!

2 pounds per week is a lovely, steady weight loss. I find that losing weight nice and slowly lessens the saggy skin issue. Although I've lost almost 10 stone I'm really surprised that, apart from the dreaded bingo wings and toe brushing nipples my skin seems to be pretty supple in most other areas

 

[Fading Grace]

While I agree with you, Grace has done fab so far, its so hard when your starting weight is double what some people start at. And realistically, the body cannot drop the weight any faster than mine has done and yet, I now weigh what some people weighed at the beginning of their journey. And ultimately that can be very difficult to deal with. I hope Grace doesn't feel that I am in anyway criticising her, as I'm really not, but I just think back to how I felt when my losses started to slow and I was still at around 20 stone. It was heartbreaking and I went through a very difficult time.

I welcome any and all advice and I don't feel that you are criticising me in any way, just the opposite in fact
You're right when you say that a lot of people are having their WLS at the weight that I currently am, and that's why I get so disheartened sometimes.
I don't give myself enough kudos that I have already lost a whole person! (Probably 2 Victoria Beckhams and 3 Kylie Minogues :8855
Mostly, I am still of a positive mind. I realise that my body is stalling as it's already lost a good amount of weight. I just need to tweak my diet now and adjust my exercise etc... I'm so delighted that I am not gaining, so even when I don't lose any weight, or lose it slowly, I'm still happy that I'm a size 22 when a year ago I was triple that size!
I'm just not going to stress out so much, and try go with the flow, because even if it takes me another year to be at my ideal weight that's still an incredible achievement. I just think that if I hadn't of had this op, that 2 years on from being almost 30 stone, God only knows what I'd have weighed in 2014... it doesn't bare thinking about!

 

[Yvessa]

I welcome any and all advice and I don't feel that you are criticising me in any way, just the opposite in fact
You're right when you say that a lot of people are having their WLS at the weight that I currently am, and that's why I get so disheartened sometimes.
I don't give myself enough kudos that I have already lost a whole person! (Probably 2 Victoria Beckhams and 3 Kylie Minogues :8855
Mostly, I am still of a positive mind. I realise that my body is stalling as it's already lost a good amount of weight. I just need to tweak my diet now and adjust my exercise etc... I'm so delighted that I am not gaining, so even when I don't lose any weight, or lose it slowly, I'm still happy that I'm a size 22 when a year ago I was triple that size!
I'm just not going to stress out so much, and try go with the flow, because even if it takes me another year to be at my ideal weight that's still an incredible achievement. I just think that if I hadn't of had this op, that 2 years on from being almost 30 stone, God only knows what I'd have weighed in 2014... it doesn't bare thinking about!

I totally agree. The weightloss is only worth it if we can enjoy it - if its making our lives miserable it really isn't worth it. Every post-op I know walks a different road - I know some who cut all white carbs, others who count their grapes, and some who join slimming clubs etc. Whatever road you walk, make it one that you can cope with for the rest of your life, because that's what these two years are for, for making those post op habits that will protect all our hard work for the next 20 years.