Mother of the Bride

So I was at my daughters wedding in a size 16 dress, jacket etc and felt amazing. Before the surgery I could never imagine feeling proud of myself.

Feeling good

Bye for now

Lock down exercise

Hi everyone,

If you are like me then exercise just brings up feelings of dread.  All last year I kept saying I would join a gym but never did.

From March we have been in lock down and my daughter Face Timed me and told me about Les Mills.  She said the first month was free and then just short of £12 per month (lot less than classes at a gym).

I don’t think she thought I would do it – but here am I rocking Sh’Bam.  It is dance to music (obviously) and I am loving it.  There isn’t much I cannot do apart from jumping (arthritus in the knees) and it is 30 or 45 mins that just fly by yet my heart rate is up, I have a sweat on and I do at least 3500 steps.

My yoga mat came today so sometime this week I will try the Body Balance which is a mix of Tai Chi, Yoga and Pilates.

They also do Body Combat, Body Pump and Body Step amongst more crazier high energy classes but I know my limits 🙂

I am not sponsored by them or trying to get people to join I just want to get it out there if gym’s are not your thing.

Also there are loads of people on YouTube doing exercise videos for free so there are many options to think about.

Stay safe and healthy,

Bye for now xxx

Lock down healthy eating

Good afternoon all,

Been a crazy time since I last updated.

I had a chest infection whilst recovering from surgery ( the doctor has hinted that I could have had the Covid-19 as no-one was aware of it then.

Lock down has actually meant we are eating better which is a bonus.  I go down to the local meat and veg market and buy lovely meat and fresh veg.  My hubby is working from home and every night I cook a nice (prepared from scratch) tea.  I have noticed that mostly ‘Fred’ hasn’t played up as much as usual which is great.

I thought I’d tell you about Les Mills.  It is online fitness classes and the first 30 days are free and then it is £11.97 per month.  I am not going out much apart from food shopping or picking up medication so I try to do 3 classes a week at home.

I love Sh’Bam which is dancing and Body Combat (I can pretend I am a kung fu fighter lol).  They do all levels (some of which are way to extreme for me) and loads of classes so you can mix it up.

I haven’t put any weight on which is good as I have been baking more.

I’ve totally recovered from my Abdomiplasty and have a nice little rounded tummy now with no overhang which equals no skin to skin soreness – RESULT!!

Keep safe and keep healthy.

Bye for  now

Mandy

Saggy skin

Hi all

been awhile since I posted, sorry about that.

when you are being counselled regarding bariatric surgery they do mention excess skin after weight loss and the fact that the NHS will not fund skin removal unless there are serious problems.
For the last few years I have been red raw underneath my tummy for a lot of the time.

i went private 18/12 and had liposuction and an abdomniplasty.  I no longer have a overhang so one I am healed there should no longer be soreness.

This is a major thing to consider years after surgery.

 

take care x

good times /bad times

Morning all,

It has been a rough time lately.  I have retinopathy at the back of my eyes and had to have cataract surgery in both eyes.

The consultant said it could have started after my bariatric surgery with the sudden drop in sugar levels.

All I can say is I do not regret having the bariatric surgery as without it I would have died a few years ago.

A small price to pay for life don’t you think and it doesn’t happen to all patients I was just one it has happened to.

I can see better than I could before the cataract surgery and although I will need more laser procedures down the line I wouldn’t change a thing.

My life is so much better and I will always be grateful for being given this opportunity.

‘Fred’ is having hissy fits

Good morning all,

So 6.5 years after surgery and my new tummy ‘Fred’ still likes to throw hissy fits.  They probably happen monthly – some for just one meal some for a little longer. The recent  one lasted 4 days – at least once a day he wouldn’t let me eat more than a few mouthfuls of food from just 1 meal (NOT the whole day!!).   Baaaaad Fred.

I am not sugar-coating my blog – there are good and bad days but the good FAR outweigh the bad AND I am still here which the docs didn’t give much hope about before the surgery.

Yesterday Fred decided to settle down so had corned beef hash for dinner and ate it all!!  This morning I have woken up with a cold (meh) so am having a cup of tea and a homemade bacon sandwich (small but tasty).

I am still 20 + pounds less than my weight when the surgeon discharged me two years after my op so I am a very happy bunny.

From pre-op weight to now I’ve lost 8 stone (see below) – am I happy I had the op?  OH YES!!

At the Midland hotel in our finery

Speak to you soon. x

 

6 years and 4 months

Morning all,

Just thought I would pop on here and blog some more – yes, I know, I don’t come on here often these days but that’s because I am enjoying my life and don’t always have time 🙂

I have joined a Ladies barbershop chorus and ‘perform’ in concerts and have my first major competition in October.  I would not have dared to do this before I had my weight loss surgery.

I have lost almost 8 stone and life is good.  ‘Fred’ (my tummy) still plays up quite regularly if I eat too fast or drink and eat at the same time.  I also get ‘Dumping syndrome’ occasionally which is really unpleasant and means I have to half sit up in bed for a couple of hours for the pain to go away.

Do I regret having bariatric surgery?  DO I HECK!!!  this is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.  I am much more happier; I love clothes shopping now.

If you have doubts about it just think that it gives you another lease on life – you will be healthier and, fingers crossed, you will live a much longer life.

If I had to go back and be asked if I wanted this op – it would always be a resounding YES!

Bye for now x

 

 

Mother’s day 11th Marh 2018

Been a while since I updated so here I go…..

It will have been 6 years this April since my bariatric bypass and here’s my report:

I weigh 20 pounds less than I did since the consultant signed me off two years after my op 🙂

I am still enjoying wearing clothes I could never get into before 🙂

Fred (my tummy still plays up on a regular basis 😦 but I wouldn’t change a thing 🙂

Was this journey worth it – Oh hell yes!!!!  Would I recommend it to anyone very overweight – oh hell yes!!!

My life has changed in so many ways and I will always be grateful to my consultant M Halstead and friends I made at the Bradford Bariatric Group.

It is Mother’s Day here today and I am sat awaiting a parcel from my daughter who lives darn sarf!! – I have skinny jeans and a (wait for it) size 14 top on – that’s a first since 1984!!!  In all fairness I am a 16/18 top normally (depends on the shop) and 16/18 bottoms.

NB: delivery arrived – beautiful bouquet of flowers in a ceramic vase – I am a lucky mum!

That’s all for now folks – if anyone reading this is at the start of their journey – good luck and those thinking about this – it’s hard but so worth it.

Take care

 

Mandy

 

Even lower it seems

So last posting I was 79.7 kg and extremely happy although ‘Fred’ is playing up a lot these days.

Weighed myself yesterday and I am now 77.8 kg – this is a new low for me – think I was this in 1986 for a while before baby helped pile the weight on 🙂

I am a little sick of being able to eat crisps/biscuits/toast with consummate ease whilst normal ‘good for you food’ makes ‘Fred’ play up.  Not all the time but hey ho life is still good and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Just remember when some days are a struggle – you are losing weight, alive and more healthy than before – always a win!

Cheers!

Speak soon

How low can you go?

Spent the last month recovering from a shoulder op – one of the downsides of diabetes is you don’t heal as quick 😦 but at least I didn’t need a special air mattress in hospital as I did pre-op.

When I was discharged from Mr Halstead two years after bariatric surgery I was 90 Kilo’s.  Today I weighed myself (5yr 5 months on) and I weigh 79.7 Kilo’s – lowest I have been in more than 25 years.

None of this is easy and so NOT the easy option as some people think but I am still here to tell the tale and if I had to do it all again  I WOULD.    That is in spite of Fred (my tummy) playing up on a weekly basis still.

I can still get into one leg of my pre-op trousers that, at the time were too tight (size 26/28) and it still gives me a thrill and I’ve lost more weight since then.

I am still loving being able to shop in normal stores for clothes – I don’t think I will ever get over being able to shop like that and not having to go to Evans.  Now don’t get me wrong Evans do some lovely clothes but now I can pick and choose where to shop I don’t ever want to go there again as for years it was practically the ONLY shop where I could by something to wear 😦

I am a size 18 but I feel amazing… I reckon if I could get rid of my flabby tum I would be a 16 but I don’t care enough to pay thousands for that op.

I was worried that losing weight would age me but last year I graduated with a PG Cert and this pic with my daughter shows I, thankfully, haven’t aged due to saggy skin phew!

Someone asked if I was her older sister lol

Speak soon,

Take care,

Mandy xxxx