CurvyMermaid

Boho, please don't give this a$$hole the power to steal the joy you have in your accomplishments. I know that is easier said than done but claim your victories and know that you are changing, evolving, becoming even more wonderful and this poor man is unkind to his core, which isn't likely to change anytime soon. Shake it off and stand tall girl! <<hugs>>

Thanks for the insight BB, eager to try.

@Readytobeme I had the best luck with Poshmark (blogged about it here) and it is a little bit more work than a flea market but I found that everyone wants to haggle and get super cheap prices at flea markets so it wasn't really worth it - I could get more with the larger audience online. If you already sell on eBay, you might have even more luck there. I have a friend who sells quite a bit on eBay so I had her post a wetsuit and waders for me as I knew that wasn't the right audience for Poshmark (all women really and not really the outdoorsy types).

E -xcess L -egs E -ntrance/Exit V - ictories (non-scale and scale!) E -xcitement N - ew home This eleven + month update (one year surgiversary is just 4 short days away!) brings together so many changes and excitement in my life. A year ago about now, I was on the pre-surgery diet, excited and nervous about the changes this surgery would bring. I have not been as active on this forum as I was in the beginning and I'm not sure how I feel about that. Perhaps I should make it more of a goal to post more than I do but I have never been a big one on social media, which blogging and forums fall under in my book. I do know how helpful I found everyone's posts while I was in this pre-surgery process so for that reason, I do make sure I come back at least once per month for this update (okay, so this one is a little late...sigh). There is great accountability in this forum and it is somewhat comforting to know that is here as a resource. I am one of the lucky ones that did not have complications following my sleeve surgery and while I am not yet at goal, it is within my sights! Now, on to my eleven month update.... I live a very active summer lifestyle and scuba diving is a big part of it. One of the biggest ironies (to me at least) was that the more you weigh on land, the more lead weight you need to pile on to sink in the ocean. Talk about the ultimate insult! Not only did I have to schlep this bodyweight around on land, I have to add even MORE and schlep it to the bottom of the ocean!? This time around in my scuba diving adventures, I am wearing way less lead weight (from ~26 lbs to 14 lbs) and while the excess skin does make strapping everything down an interesting challenge, entrances and exits to the water are soooo much easier. So while this is technically a scale victory, there are some non-scale victories roped into it. When I went to the dive shop, I needed to rent a BC (buoyancy compensator device/jacket). The guy looked at me and gave me a medium. A MEDIUM folks!! Say whaaaa...? And it fit!!! My team down in Florida hasn't seen me in a year and were shocked by the changes - it always starts with the hair (I have much shorter hair than I used to), then they scan my body, exclaim on my diminished size and they all seem to think I have longer legs. LOL I keep telling them they can notice my height now that I am not so wide. I also reconnected with some colleagues that I have not seen in over 10 years. I don't know that I would have reached out, nor pursued an actual meeting, had I not had the weight loss surgery. I would have been ashamed of how I had let myself go and the size I had attained. I will be returning to New Jersey with even more changes - a new home! and my entire family in the same state for at least a few days. My family has been spread across the globe for the past 20 years as my brother lived the military life with my nieces, my parents retired and I roamed the planet in pursuit of my education and career goals. I am closing on my very first home purchase (a lovely condo I am excited to make my own) just in time to celebrate my one year surgiversary. Keeping to good eating habits will be important during this exciting and stressful time. I am up for the challenge!! Stay tuned for the one year surgery update!

Sorry for my delayed response. My yard sale was a total failure! I really thought there would be more people out but it was not meant to be - I ended up donating the majority of the stuff to the thrift store. On the up side - I did get to meet and chat with more of my neighbors! I would suggest combining with other people (friends, family, neighbors) and have a combined yard sale to draw in more diverse crowds. I had no clothing out (I've sold ~$400 worth of my gently used clothing online), no children's clothes, mainly household goods. Perhaps if my offerings were more diverse, there would have been a bigger draw from the 'drive-by' crowd?

T aller E thanol N ature Ten months since surgery y'all! Last month brought many deaths into my life, my ex-boyfriend re-entered my life (after a year!) and proposed, the harassing work situation from last year has re-surfaced and I've been house hunting for my first purchase! I suppose at this point in my life, I really thought I'd be married (and that answer was NO) so house hunting alone has been a bit anti-climatic but still an interesting process (especially my first offer....and subsequent rejection! lol). I keep wondering if when I walk into these houses, is it supposed to feel like a 'say-yes-to-the-dress' moment? Taller: Everyone keeps saying I look taller, perhaps it's because I'm not as wide so my height becomes more noticeable. When asked my height I actually go into panic mode because I don't really know anymore. Waaaay back when at the start of the journey, a nurse measured me at 5'9", which caused incredulous laughter because I have always registered my height at 6'0". This nurse was approximately 5' tall and very, very pregnant so I somewhat thought she just couldn't reach my head. Re-measured a few months later (by a shorter gentlemen at my GP office) I was told 5'10.5", which I thought (and friends and family members thought) sounded off too. With all of our technical advancements, is height really still measured by standing against a wall with a metal bar? This becomes increasing important as we calculate BMI. No matter what the number, everyone has been saying I look taller, which I really think means I'm not as wide and therefore people can notice my height! Some photos I found online with folks (or cartoons!) getting their height measured. You'll notice that the first three, the measurer is always taller than the measureree. BUT look at the last one! When did you ever see that in the doctor's office?? Why is that pertinent? Because our doctor's use the BMI to determine what level of tests we have to go through before getting bariatric surgery. Had my height been measured appropriately from the onset, it would have dropped my BMI and I would have needed only half the tests I needed prior to surgery. There was also an incident with a scale within the doctor's office that measured incorrectly, I brought it to the staff's attention and it was like twisting arms to get them to change it! Be an advocate for yourself, even for the silliest items. Some alternatives to coping with alcohol: archery, long beach walks, reading and talking to my therapist/friends/family Ethanol. And by that I really mean alcohol because rather than coping with food, I have definitely been coping with an increased consumption of alcohol, which has dramatically stalled my program these last 2-3 months. I am lucky in that I have no history of alcohol abuse, have a wonderful relationship with my therapist to treat my PTSD, and have developed some alternative strategies that are working thus far. But even without any type of history, this surgery makes you vulnerable to these kinds of issues. I feel like you need to be vigilant and don't be afraid to seek help. In fact, even if you don't think you have a problem but have noticed your 'reward' after a hard day is a glass of wine or beer or drink, ask yourself what's going on and if that's the road you want to go down. I do not feel safe from developing any other 'new' obsession now that food is off the table and I think because I did, I ended up sliding these past few months. I'm trying not to feel so bad about that, to forgive myself and make better decisions for these next few months but focusing one day at a time. NATURE!! Mother nature is taunting us like the saucy wench she is! We'll have a gorgeous day and the next day I'll see my breath. Last night I walked on the beach for about 2 hours and while it started out overcast but still pleasant, by the end it was frigid, foggy and positively spooky. Fresh weather is just around the corner, which will brighten even my saddest moods and I plan to wring every last drop of the day. This upcoming month brings a trip to the west coast to officiate my friend's wedding, the start of my diving for work (brrr!! cold water! 54*F), and a townwide yard sale. While I have helped with family yard sales (well, I'm sure I stood there while my mom did all the work! lol), I've never hosted my own. And, being the researcher I am, I have been reading online about haggle-free yard sales (not socially acceptable), pricing strategies (be ready for hagglers) and not pricing anything strategies (you can make more and its less work). Just like in my Poshmark, I want to do minimal work and make the most money. So far PoshMark has brought in ~$250 for minimal work. I don't think I can get that much out of my garage sale items but my plan is to donate anything that doesn't sell so something is better than nothing! Thoughts from other yard sale junkies? What's this vegetarian eating? I created a recipe I am calling broccoli piccata with fresh lemon, capers, spaghetti squash, broccoli and some red pepper flakes. By straining off the sauce, cooling it, mixing in genepro and then remixing the sauce with the cooked ingredients, I'm able to get some decent protein out of the recipe, while also getting in some important veggies. I also created a veggie egg scramble that did not turn out quite so well.... lol! Planning my meals for the week has been really helpful in making sure I eat appropriately through the week rather than just drinking protein. So let me put it to you all: Is there a more accurate way to measure height? For post-ops, did you struggle with an addiction transfer? For yard sale experts, to price or not to price?!

I love the dapper look @Dtrain84! Congrats to your successes so far and cheers to many, many more scale and non-scale victories!

Awwwww knee high boots, there was a special funeral for you.... I actually used the weight loss (and new smaller calves) to justify purging those boots out anyway as they were looking pretty tired. I also bought a pair of over-the-knee boots that I NEVER would have thought of actually buying pre-WLS. I agree that getting measured is key and plan for a little decrease - which would most likely impact you if you are already at a 0.5 size. For instance, I wear a women's US 11 and now my feet will fit into a 10.5 but the 11 are still just fine.

So sorry to hear of your turd-filled two months and big wishes for a turd-free next two months. We are terrible at caring for ourselves but don't get in the way when loved ones need us! Be kind to yourself Nerdy and get that rest whenever you can. <<hugs>>

SO glad to hear she is progressing so well and relaxing at home.

BB you paint such a beautiful picture! Perhaps next on my travel list should be a Zen temple to practice my skills. I never did archery at camp or in school so this was my first exposure. And my forearm is bruised to prove it! P.S. CONGRATS!! on onederland!!! I love that it kinda snuck up on you and I hope you, your wife and son are still having fun with your svelte self!

I should add that the severe downside from my not eating and just having protein came to fruition this morning. OUCH And I'll be working on getting those veggies in and adding some Miralax until things are back on track. Why did I forget that this was the problem with such an unbalanced diet? Why did it take me so long to remember!!???

Thank you all for the condolences and for not making me feel bad about being so absent @CheeringCJ! The last of the three deaths was my one remaining grandparent, my father's father. My parents are actually here visiting me as this was a trip they booked months ago. It's comforting to be with them again even if I just saw them this past weekend. I am so thrilled to have my brother and his future wife so close! In New Jersey I learned that "Sunday Dinner" is practically a religion around here. Its an Italian thing where the family always gathers each week at the grandparents or parents house for a huge Italian feast. While I will happily leave out the 'feast' part, just having a new family tradition will be nice.

I averaged 29 days and had my period right before surgery. The first month I started after 20 days, again after 14 days, and AGAIN after 21 days. Then I went back to ~27 day cycle and have been regular since. I wouldn't be surprised if your cycle became a little wonky but I would think it should be back within 6 months. I talked with my surgeon and my gynecologist when mine went off course and they were both surprisingly unhelpful. LOL But definitely track it and if the irregularity lasts for an extensive period, I would say go back to your doctor and have some tests done just in case. Better safe than sorry!

You look amazing @CheeringCJ! I think the photos are what will help you continue to get over the body dysmorphia - and see the changes have really stuck! And big congrats on the new job and transition in your year of me!