Weight loss journey

Catch up….

Once again I update you all then disappear….need to be more on my game.

Its been 7 months now since my operation and I’m 120 lbs down…..which is wild to me. This is me not doing exercise either. I’ve been trying to work on my food as that was the main issue before surgery so i need to get that right.

I’ve been focusing on having protein but not gonna lie its been hard. Sometimes protein does not like me, at the moment i struggle with meatballs, its like my stomach goes hell nah every time I eat one, but i leave it and try again another time.

I am in a group on the Facebook with people asking questions and sharing their journey whether it be good or bad, and all can say is WOW. The judgement on these posts is wild. People who are having or had the surgery wanting a little advice or help and other people just being rude as hell. I’m happy i have this little website to share my journey (when i remember to write). Its a judgement free zone.

I have also noticed I can walk a lot more than I could before which is good as I don’t drive, so walking to a bus stop or train station has become a lot easier. I went to London couple months ago and I walked all over with my friends without needing to stop and rest, it was a BIG non scale victory.

It has been a wild ride so far. I think the BIGGEST things i have noticed is that I am less tired when i walk around. I avoided going upstairs on the bus because I just felt too fat and tired, now I go upstairs all the time. Being tall is still an issue so the legs are tight.

People have commented on my weight loss, but I think I am definitely suffering with body dysmorphia as I don’t see the difference at all. I still feel I look the same even though I’ve lost over 100 lbs and clothes fill better. I wonder if that will change? Maybe i should have taken pictures to compare to but i hate taking selfies so i didn’t.

Taking vitamins etc is a real challenge. I try everyday to remember but its hard, especially when you have to taken Iron and Calcium different times a day as they effectively cancel each other out. Steak and cheesy mash just seems like a redundant meal now.

The one thing I have noticed is about the sex life. I am single -ish. And previously I would talk to someone then I wouldn’t talk anymore because I always felt too fat, but now I’m willing to go and meet people which is a complete 180. We goes direct;y against my feeling of my body being the same, so HOW DOES THAT WORK?

Anyway this is the update. Its big but not so big. Just living and vibing mostly. Still not exercising though, which means I most likely will be getting saggy skin but we will see.

Anyway, peace out

Cherelle x

Weight loss journey

Surgery…….completed it mate

I am very sorry for the long overdue post. It has been a wild ride.

Let me start of by saying I have had the surgery and am now 2 months post op. I haven’t had the chance to come on here and update you because it has taken some getting used to, but I am back and ready to spill the tea. So I still need to let you know how my journey began and then we can go from there.

Once upon a time…

…I called my GP because I was feeling really tired all the time, like ALL the time. I could sleep for 12 hours and wake up and still be exhausted. I did not know why, so I called the doc to find out. Anyway after asking me a load questions and stuff he started talking to me about my weight and asked if I would be interested in bariatric surgery, and I said yes without thinking about it or knowing what it was. I hate speaking on the phone to people I get nervous.

Turns out that was the start of my bariatric journey. I hadn’t thought too much about the conversation as he then made me go in for a blood test to figure out what tiredness issue was.

That conversation happened over 2 years ago. Just a mindless yes answer and look what came of it.

I got a letter not long after that conversation to meet with the bariatric team at St Georges to discuss the operation. I bought my mother along. We talked about what it would entail, the operation, the before and after and everything in between. It was a lot of information to hear all at once and I encourage to do a lot a research on the matter so you are prepared. If you are planning on going down this road especially via the NHS then bear in mind that the wait list is long and you wont hear anything for months at a time. During the waiting period I honestly thought they had forgotten about me. As I heard nothing for like a year after that first appointment. Then it all starts at once.

I remember getting a letter to go in for tests. Then another letter for more tests, thankfully on the same day. I had to meet the nurse to get:

  • height
  • weight
  • blood pressures
  • blood tests

This was to see if I was even fit for surgery. Turns out I was healthy as a horse except for being fat. I did have to have a test to check my heart, like a proper echo cardiogram, I saw my heart on a screen it was very cool.

And to answer the question of why I was so tired all the time. I have sleep apnea. I had to be tested for that as well ( I am also anemic which does not help). My fat neck causes my airway to close up when I’m sleeping, which causes me to snore, and means I don’t get enough REM sleep which is what keeps you rested. I now have a CPAP machine (sexy) which I use every night.

I think that brings you up to date with what I had to do up to getting my surgery date. So I will leave it here. If you have any questions let me know.

Peace out

Cherelle

Weight loss journey

Welcome to my weight loss journey

Welcome. My name is Cherelle and I am on a weight loss journey.

I am a LARGE gal. Like cant sit on a plane without a seat belt extension, taking up someone else’s space kinda gal. I have grown in size over the years due to many factors and it is in the year of 2024 that my weight loss journey begins.

That was a lie, it technically started in 2022.

So to give you a run down, I am having weight loss surgery in the next month or so (maybe). And I have looked online for support and a journey of how is started, how it went, and how its going but i have not seen much about. So i wanted to write about my experience so far (if i can remember) and what I have had to do up till this point, and also what it will be like once I had it.

I am happy to answer any questions along the way to the best of my ability, but remember I am not a doctor (even though i wanted to be once when i was younger).

There will be a lot to discuss about what i have done up till now and what’s left to do before the surgery. So prepare to be sick of me.

I also want to note that I am not sure i want to add pictures of myself up on my site, or maybe not yet. Because while it is helpful to see what the before and after is on someone, and all the hard work they have done to get to where they are, I don’t think that is what i want this journal to be about. I don’t want people fixated on what I look like, i want them to focus on the journey and the ups and downs on the journey. I will also not be mentioning my starting weight, but i will add what I’ve lost.

I think this is all i have time to write for now as I have gone over my lunch break slightly doing this. But once again welcome to my journey and I hope to help, inspire and entertain those who chose to follow me.

Peace out

Cherelle Nicole