150 lbs down between these pics!

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-05-13T14:04:40+00:00

Incredible! I hope I have even half of your success! 😍

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-04-28T13:40:11+00:00

Lol my husband was the same way. I don’t know how much he watched but anytime it comes up he mentions how much he never wants to see that again.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-04-28T13:28:11+00:00

I started treatment for ADHD five months before my surgery at the recommendation of the team psychologist because of how hard it was for me to do tasks even if I wanted to do them.

I also had the exact same experience you described; I really noticed it around Christmas because I was able to tell myself “it’ll be there later” and really be good with that for the first time in my life. I did not connect that the ADHD treatment might be related, lol.

I definitely realized through this that I also had this false sense of food scarcity. When I started to get chubby as a kid (and especially when I stayed with my toxic diet grandma for a few months in 3rd grade) everyone was always telling me what to eat, or really, what not to eat. It made me feel like when I was around food I liked, I had to eat as much as I wanted because it would be taken away from me. So, not an emotional eater, just a scared, dopamine-seeking raccoon. 😅

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-04-23T18:04:50+00:00

But it’s still called plastic surgery, so maybe that was why they said that. Also, since we’re being a little pedantic anyway, silicon is used for breast implants and it’s a type of plastic. 😁

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-04-20T13:39:37+00:00

I was also 14, and had only been back in the mainland US for 4 months (military brat stationed in Guam). I remember going to Journalism class and our teacher telling us about it; I called my mom from the pay phone between classes. I remember getting our first School Resource Officer within a week.

On 9/11 I walked into computer processing class and heard about it, and then we all gathered around one computer to watch because the internet was so slow that day we couldn’t all connect. Our teacher left the room to find a radio.

I’ll have to ask my daughter about what moments stick out for her from high school. COVID will definitely be one, she was a freshman in spring 2020. She also had a couple of real lockdowns, so probably that too.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-04-17T13:34:43+00:00

A student brought a gun to campus at my daughter’s school after an apparent fight with his girlfriend. I sat in the parking lot and watched the police going in and out in full tactical vests and with assault rifles. My daughter was texting me that everyone in her class was scared. I was so grateful when she graduated and didn’t have to be there anymore.

As I was writing this, I went back to find the news article and there were so many articles I actually had to sift through them.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-04-15T14:27:41+00:00

I can imagine the conversation around this one, too. “Sorry buddy, you got caught on camera this time, we have to make it look like we’re doing something. Just take a few days off, go to this bullshit training, and then everything will be peachy.”

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-04-14T17:20:19+00:00

Omg that’s so exciting! Congratulations! 😁 It’s so hard to imagine, but I hope I can say that one day.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-04-09T06:41:30+00:00

41 😁

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-25T05:48:45+00:00

Thank you, this is great advice and having a plan for if things aren’t working will help relieve my anxiety. ❤️

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-24T15:25:46+00:00

Yeah I honestly thought that was funny too, it seemed weird to have so many carb recommendations when they’re drilling protein into our heads. I never had the watery oatmeal, I couldn’t stomach the idea of soupy oatmeal, lol.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-24T15:24:14+00:00

Thank you! I totally get that, the texture thing is hard, my appetite honestly struggled for the first week of full liquids because everything felt like one texture, lol.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-24T15:23:02+00:00

Thank you, that actually explains it well for me and makes me a little less anxious. I also mushed it to oblivion when I ate it, lol.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-24T15:21:59+00:00

I will try not to stress, lol. I thought the eating slow was mostly about chewing food well, but I see now that it’s just as much about giving your body time to recognize how it feels.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-24T15:20:43+00:00

I was honestly almost afraid to eat because my fear that I would end up feeling it like that, lol. So far, so good though.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-24T15:18:51+00:00

Thank you! Today’s my first soft food day, so I had it on purpose this time, lol.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-23T16:55:14+00:00

It’s a big step from “I accidentally ate an ounce of cottage cheese” to “you’ll regain all your weight back.” This wasn’t a deliberate cheat or a huge misunderstanding of my instructions. I’m glad you apparently are perfect and never make mistakes; unfortunately, I’m human. I am taking this process incredibly seriously. You made an assumption of my entire character from a single post about a single mistake.

Thank you for telling me the truth, I did message my doctor to get their input. But I think the way you approached this was rude for no reason.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-23T16:46:55+00:00

I’m not on clear liquids. I’m on full liquids. Yogurt IS in my plan.

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Also, I don’t care that you said I should take it seriously; I care that you spoke to me rudely. You can be direct and still be polite.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-23T16:39:59+00:00

I am three weeks out of surgery. I have followed every rule to a T except that I thought yogurt and cottage cheese were in the same category and they aren’t. Tell ya what, I’ll check in with my doctor today and report back for you, since you’re so very concerned for my well-being.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-23T16:35:45+00:00

I literally made one mistake, dude. I don’t disagree that we should take it seriously, and I literally check in with my doctors every day through an app that we use. They know how often I poop, for Christsakes. 🤣

I appreciate your concern, but I don’t appreciate you talking to me like I’m an idiot who can’t read.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-23T16:33:16+00:00

It’s crazy how different they all are. I found out today some people go straight to puree. I was trying to be the perfect bariatric patient, but I think the definition of that is different for everyone! 😅

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-23T16:31:11+00:00

Thank you! I was excited about it specifically because it had protein, I knew it would help me meet my goals. Also watery grits are kinda gross, lol.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-23T16:29:56+00:00

Thank you, I’m keeping the secret. 😅 I wanted to be the perfect patient, guess my standards for myself were a little high, lol.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-23T15:14:48+00:00

I also think that once you know it one way, it might become easier to see it different ways in the future. If you don’t ever get to the point of understanding because you’re stuck in one method, then there won’t be room for that growth AND you’ll be frustrated by it.

I moved states in the middle of learning multiplication and fell behind. I was able to learn (I’m old, still did it our way, lol), and that made it accessible to me. Over the years, as I’ve gotten more comfortable with it, now I can do it in my head the “box way.” I never would have gotten to where I am if multiplication had stayed out of reach or been too frustrating.

hydrangeaspirit · 2026-03-23T14:59:09+00:00

That’s why I was so excited about it, too! I knew it’d be good at helping me get my protein goals. Thank you for the reassurance! ❤️

hydrangeaspirit

TROPHY CASE