Yayyyyyyyyyyyyy :-) xx

I too celebrated when I hit "overweight." Congrats and keep up the great work!

Congrats great job

Woohoo!
Let's party!
Congrats and keep up the good work.

thanks for all your responses and fantastic support. lots of love.

LOL. That is a pretty silly question. Most people want to be healthy so not sure why she would ask that but who cares. You are doing it and succeeding fabulously!!! Proud of you!!

I feel the best thing about this journey is how good it can make a person feel. It gives you ambition to do better each day especially when you view those numbers going down on that scale and the feeling you get when you go down in sizes of clothes.

What could be better?? Keep up the great work!!

Ellie, those are some lovely wins! Isn't it wonderful when you start coming alive again?!

Beats the hell out of how we used to struggle through every day.

thanks everyone for your comments and support

Ellie, it sounds like you are already enjoying your success! Going with our kids somewhere with less anxiety is wonderful. We have ridiculous summer (that is upper 90's F with high humidity) here, and I am staying in the air conditioning.

Funny how people get jealous of good changes sometimes; maybe its the reminder that everyone, regardless of appearance, has something they can work on to change and be more.

I have a fairly large group of women friends (that is, in #, not weight). And in the group, I don't think I was every viewed as the "fat" one; I know I am viewed as the devout and funny one. In my extended family, I'm the introvert. Maybe your friend is afraid you'll take her "thin" place?

Well done Elllie. Unfortunately there is sometimes some jealousy but you just have to ignore that. So great that you are having nice weather. Im not coming over till Christmas so it will be cold then!! But festive!!!

Wow!
I am in awe.
You are doing great indeed!

Thanks for the support Shannon and Sassy! I appreciate all your input, support and advice.

Just like the others have stated, you're doing great! Keep up the great work and you will reach your goal!

Hi Ellie!

It sounds like you are on the right track. Keep up the great work and before you know it you will have reached your goal weight!

Have a great week!

Thanks for the support and advice Stacey and Christie. I will look to see re the magnesium, hopefully the chewable ones are suitable for vegetarians.

We've all been telling you that you are doing great. We all seem to think that we are slow losers but in reality it is just because we are all our own biggest critics. I always say to just enjoy the ride. It is all going to happen in the time it is meant to happen in. So keep on following the rules and getting fabulous Ellie!
PS-High dose magnesium (400 mg) in soft gel to help with the bowel issues. If you can't do soft gel you can find them also in chewable. Since I have been taking 1 pill before bed it has made me regular!!

You're doing great Elllie :-)

You're doing great ellie! I find that when I walk I lose a pound and when i don't walk my weight stays the same. I walked every day last week and lost 5 pounds. The week before I didn't walk every day and lost 3 pounds.

I am glad to hear your check up went well. Don't get discouraged. Often even if your weight is slowing your body is still changing. That is the beauty of the sleeve. It is not just about weight loss but also about body changes. And you know what....I kept my weight loss secret as well. I often said it was about low carb, portion control, and exercise. I don't feel the need to share. Although I have been honest with a friend of a friend who sent me a private message on facebook. She doesn't live near me. She had see the pictures on her friends page. I was honest because she is big and could use the surgery. I did ask my friend first (as she is one of the 4 friends I told about the surgery) and then went ahead and told her. She may actually go to Mexico and have surgery as she has family there. So long story short, I have told very, very few people as it is my business alone.

That's great Ellie, there is often a bit of a slowing and then it picks up again so you will be just fine. So great that you are feeling better and more confident :-)

Congratulations ellie.,. I am so glad you are feeling great. I love to read post like these because right now I am only 4 days post op and can't imagine when I will feel better. I am so happy you are doing great!

Elllie, I'm glad you are doing well. What a weight loss for you in that short period of time! I am off of the protein shakes but do add a protein powder to Fairlife skim milk and that boosts my protein levels like crazy. I still do have constipation and for the past week have eaten 2 prunes as an after dinner snack and that is doing the trick for the morning

Congratulations on your current weight loss Ellie! Things will certainly get better over time. I have suffered from constipation and no BM for days, even with a stool softener. A friend of mine (1 yr. post op) suggested that I drink China Dieter Green Tea w/o caffeine to help move the bowels. One thing I can say, is that it truly works! I either drink a protein shake or the oikos triple zero yogurt for breakfast!

Keep up the great work!

Ellie, it's hard to believe you have already been that far out! What a great loss you've had, and it sounds like you are quite intuitive about what you need to do. I have not had an constipation, but I only have 4" of large intestine post-colectomy for cancer, so I expect that's one of the reasons.

One of my daughters has that issue -- she found a tea called "Smooth Move" which has fennel in it, and it seems to right things in about 10 hours after a cup. Not bad tasting.

You are doing good Elllie and I'm sure things will just get better and better. Excellent weight loss too :-)

Hi Ellie! I struggled for 10 months post op with severe constipation. I still have to make sure I am going so when I do get backed up I take action before it gets out of hand. Besides stool softeners, I also had to take suppositories if I had not gone after a few days. Luckily now it is not a problem often. I do still occasionally take something, though. The key is being vigilant about tracking when you go until your bowels have stabilized.

Hi Elllie
I fairly certain that we all have differing emotions after surgery. I have never regretted my decision for a minute as it has changed my life for the better so much. Make sure you tell your surgeon all of your concerns when you visit next week. They are there to help.

I'm 9 months on from surgery and I still have a protein shake every morning for breakfast. It's easy (I have breakfast at work) and it gives me a good blat of protein to start the day.
I still have constipation issues and my GP has prescribed a stool softener that I can (and do) take every day which has sorted the problem out. I am hopeful that one day when I am getting enough veg/fibre into me that I will be able to do with out it but in the meantime it is an small price to pay for comfort :-)
Drinking the water becomes a habit if you stick with it. I always have a bottle with me and if by chance I go out without one I soon miss it and have to buy one!
Things will only get better from here and I bet in time you will never regret your decision.

Greetings Ellie!

I think many of us can relate to the dilemma you are currently facing. I do believe at one moment or another most of us found ourselves questioning whether or not we made the right decision to have weight loss surgery. But if you will allow me to place a bug in your ear...

The next time you find yourself questioning the decision to have had weight loss surgery, ask yourself how you feel (bowel issues aside.) Do you feel like you have more energy? Do you feel like you have a new found zest for life? Do you find yourself wanting to go out into public and to do more things without the unwanted feelings of embarrassment? Do you feel as though your body is finally on the mend and healing from years of being obese? If you can answer "yes" to these questions (and more), then you know you have done the right thing. After all, you are on the fast track to becoming a healthier, happier, and revitalized you. How can you possibly go wrong if that is the direction you are heading in?

Hang in there. It WILL get better.

Originally Posted by elllie

Thanks everyone for the advice, it is always valuable and motivational as you have all done well. I did force myself to eat a little, but my problem isn't being full, it is I have no appetite and just can't face the puree food anymore and I still have 21.2 more weeks of it before I get to mashed food. The one thing I do make sure I take everyday are my vitamins and because they are dissolve able ones I am getting some fluids in. I decided to increase my fluids by going back to broth as I enjoy homemade chicken soup. Y

Glad you're drinking. You won't be hungry in the beginning, so you will have to force yourself to get the the minimum protein and liquid in. But you can do it! It will make recovery so much easier and quicker.

Pureed food is disgusting. Just find something you can tolerate, like the protein shakes or low fat greek yogurt.