coops

Hey Skinny, hope the gall bladder op went well and that you are ok,,, sending you positive vibes from across the pond. Don't stress the Water thing, I get a 3-4lb bounce all the time now, I have a max of 168 and if I get the that, I panic for a few days and it goes back down. I saying that, with the primal way of eating I am not seeing that number now... my bounce is lower 163- 166 so, I'll take that. Please let us know how you get on. My update is that my TT op is on Thursday! A little sooner than I originally planned but it is all good. Have to go for blood tests in the morning and I'm all clear to have time off work. I had my consultation last week and the surgeon said I should see good results and that although the skin on the bottom half - the over hang - is knackered (my words lol) the top half is in good order and will give me nice results. He doesn't want me to have lipo, apparently when the skin is tightened I have a good woman's shape, they are his words! He also doesn't think I need any muscle repair, but will check when he is doing the op. So, I am excited, nervous, worried, excited, panicking, excited... you get the picture! I'll keep you up to date!

I really don't like going out to eat anymore... I didn't enjoy it pre sleeve to be honest, but that is another thread altogether! When I do go out, I go out to have a drink and a dance! I make sure that I eat several hours before I start drinking, and I might have a packet of nuts in the early part of the evening! I can't eat and drink anymore, so I chose one or the other. I can get stupidly drunk now too... couldn't in the early days, but it is a lot different to stupid drunk pre sleeve! Only in the early days did I throw up food, a steep learning curve at the time that has stayed with me now. I know exactly how much I can and can't eat and that is the reason I love my sleeve. It makes me stop, even though I am enjoying the food. I have learnt to read my full signals now, something I couldn't do three years ago! I can see how easy it would be to fill up really quickly though, especially when out with friends.

Am I a vet? I am nearly 2 yrs 7 mths post op... not at surgeon's goal (yet) and still obese as per the BMI scale... A failed sleever? NO WAY! Maintaining current weight for nearly 18 mths, no regain; fit and healthy. I have been coming to this site for support for nearly 3 years but over the last year or so my posts have dropped. Sometimes I feel that when I do post I'm over looked because I am not at goal...? Dunno, maybe I am being overly sensitive. but I do know that popping on here every now and then helps me stay focused; keeping my eye on the prize as such. Also, I have made some lovely cyber friends here that, over time I have connected with for many reasons, and whom I can turn to for a moan and a groan when my local friends 'don't get it'! I chose to come here, read what I feel is relevant, respond if I think I can help. Job done!

Erm, me!!! Lol! I'm here!

swizzly... that must of been an amazing feeling... I am loving the 'perfect patient' comment! Oh to be a normal BMI - that, again, must be an amazing feeling! Congrats on a great two years!! Don't go away... stay with us! x

I'm soooo glad that I'm not alone!! Bloody men eh?! The benefits of eating clean and no processed foods are definitely worth the scale being stubborn! However, I did see 163 this morning... now I don't know if that is a fluke! But I am gonna take it... let us hope that the scale will start going down a little... I would be happy with a pound or two a month as long as the scale was moving! Skinny, I am really lucky with the head hunger, I don't really get it these days. if I want a 'lil something' I now turn to 70% (and above) dark chocolate. The carb and sugar content is much lower than normal choc but the taste is rich and divine. I think Swizzy also does this? Try it... what harm can it do! On the nut front, I too have given up peanuts, I used to love them... now I have macadamia nuts instead. A much better quality of nut - I often mix them with dried cranberries... this too is a great go to snack and sometimes I will take a lil pot to work and have them as lunch. Very filling and very tasty! I have to be honest, we don't always buy organic and grass fed. here in the UK it is double the price and food is already expensive, so we do what we can by going to the local market and try to buy local. Not always doable but we try. Thanks for the compliments skinny! You are a dream and they came at the right moment, reminded me that I have done well so far and I just need to stay positive and keep on keeping on. Lets stay strong and remember we are all in this together!

Just a quick update from me... still doing the primal diet and feeling great - just no movement on the scales! Hubby has now lost a roaring 23lbs - and I am still proud of him but at the same time I am soooo jealous (not my best emotion)! I am getting really frustrated again by the da*n scale! I really don't want to see 164 any more - although this is now stable and the bounce is just 1-2lb instead of 1-4lb! But still! No movement in nearly 18mths! Do I really have to chop my leg off to get to goal!! Surely the scale has to move soon... surely!! Oh please, someone - anyone, give me strength and stop me from free falling into a shed load of chocolate!!

Just looking at your pics gets me excited! If my results are half as good as yours I will be one very happy lady! Your whole mid sections looks fantastic! You must be thrilled!

WOW... thank you for posting the pics! Your results are just brilliant! I hope I get a middle like yours! =]

Should I be concerned that I'm going to morph into a Daffodil? I LOVE daffodils... they are simply beautiful, elegant and they just brighten up any room/view/garden! Morph into that daff with pride and joy! Knowing that the bulb that was 302lbs heavier is now an amazingly beautiful flower! Oh, and besides they are the national flower of Wales (UK) so what other flower would you want to morph into!!

Thank you frumpynomore... you've put my mind at ease. You are making excellent progress and it is really pleasing to hear! I am particularly excited about the prospect of wearing a bikini this summer too.. I haven't worn one that shows the tummy for nearly twenty years! I did wear a tankini last year, but it looked like a one piece. We've booked to go to Turkey in August this year, so I am hoping that I will be good to go by then and ready to get some sun on my new belly!

WOW... to both of you... thank you for posting the pictures, they are appreciated. I have a consultation beg of next month with a provisional surgery date a few weeks later, of the consultation and price is right. After reading your story - warts and all - I realise that this is an emotional journey as well as a physical one. I have to say, I am looking forward to getting it done now and recovering... like you I so want the skin gone. I am 2 1/2 years out now and although I am not at my goal weight, I have been at this weight for over a year. I am trying to get rid of the last 14lbs, but my body is being very stubborn and doesn't want to shift the last bit of fat! One question for you both, I am a teacher (comprehensive school - high school age 11-16yrs) and I am planning on having 4 weeks off work... do you think that this is realistic? My only real worry is getting back to work. I have a brillant support unit in the shape of an amazing husband, two lovely children, supportive parents - although elderly - and great friends. I know that these people will help me through the first two weeks... it is the return to work that I am concerned about. Any further insight will be muchly appreciated. Congrats to both of you!

Wow... great post, and thank you for posting the pictures. I am now 2 1/2 yrs post op and I think my body is happy at this weight (even though my mind isn't - not at goal and I have been at this weight for 18mths now) so I decided it was time to 'finish the job' and sort out my middle area! I have a consultation beg of next month and a provisional date for around the 22nd March for a TT and possible uplift. How is the pain now... the only thing I am worried about is going back to work, I teach comprehensive - high school)... do you think I'll be good to go int he classroom after 4 weeks? Any insight would be gratefully received.

just a quick update from me... I am now back to 164, what I am calling my all time lowest (I did see 163 once, so I am not counting that!). HUbby has now lost 17lbs and is really looking good...he is getting his waist line back! He is also reporting a feeling of well being that he hasn't had for a long time! To hear him say that is amazing cos over the last three years, he has had a really tough ride of things. This way of eating is really benefiting me and I am starting to feel a little more confident. This is going to sound really strange, but I am 'feeling' smaller. I went out Friday night with the peeps from work and my hubby said that I looked 'tiny'! In all our married life, he has never used that adjective on me.... chuffed! After 5 weeks of following the primal style eating I am starting to look at sugary foods in a different light... they don't interest me anymore! Here is an example: me and hubby went to the cinema last night... normally we would consider this a 'treat' and associated with that would be lots of chocolate, cola and popcorn. He would have a large bag of M&Ms and I would have a small (which isn't that small actually...lol) bag of popcorn - we would share the drink. Anyway, last night we shared some dark choc - 4 squares each. I took some macadamia nuts and dry cranberries and he had some dried apricots! Talk about an NSV!! Didn't look for anything else... wasn't interested in the sweets or popcorn shop...Oh and we shared a bottle of water!!! Chuffed or what! This, after 2 1/2 years out is definitely a sign that progress never stops. I am looking forward to seeing my PS now, to see what he says about the TT ... I really think that this will mark the end of my journey, and regardless of what the scales says, I will be where I want to be. I'll keep you all posted! Hope you are all doing well... Oh, and thank you swizzy for pointing me in the direction of Mark's daily apple...

very interesting Skinny.. can I say that since I have given up bread - I must start to check labels on soups now - that my sleep has defo improved; my skin is looking better, as is my hair (still very thin but not so dry and frizzy) but the best thing is I have NO bloating or pains in my tummy after eating! I thought I had a touch of IBS, but I don't think that is the case now... I simply think it was the wheat and grain playing havoc with my stomach and digestion. Oh and the hubby weighed again today, he has lost 15lbs in total now... I am slowly turning green here...lol! He is looking a lot better for it and he reports the same benefits as me and to add to that, he used to get a lot of acid and it would literally wake him up in the middle of the night... that has now gone! His energy levels are a lot higher and his overall mood is better too! I really think that this way of eating suits us both.

thanks ladies... Swizzly - I was born to be stubborn ...lol... I've been reading Mark's daily apple and the best advise on there is to be patient and wait until your body turns into a fat burning machine - hahahaaa! I am still waiting! I've been here for 16mths now so what is another couple fo weeks - months! I just can't let it go! I really want to be at least over weight if not a normal BMI! And Skinny, you are right! Benefit other than weight loss is a good reason to keep on keeping on! I am just getting frustrated again! I wonder if I am not eating enough too - but like you say, the restriction is still there and keeping me in control of my portions. I don't want to eat more than 4 times a day 'cos I know that is the slippery slope to grazing, something that I have got control over now, I do eat nuts every day - macadamia with cranberry are my choice at the moment and i know they are calories dense but good for me. Should I keep eating them or get rid....??? *sighs*

Escape pod - I am with you 100%! Really, I understand your frustration as I have been and am still there... I too have been eating really clean and passing up 'treats' and so on and although I am sitting at the bottom end of my bounce range there is still no movement below. Remember I said hubby was now eating the same way, well he has lost 13lbs now! I am really happy for him but so frustrated that I am not getting the same rewards on the scales. I do feel better; not so bloated and cranky, less moody, sleeping better, more focused etc, but I really hoped that this month of clean eating would show on the scales.... but I can't get below 165! My ultimate goal of 138- even 140 seems like a distant miracle. I am only 5 2, and some days I feel really 'heavy', like I used to! Over the last couple of days I have had a proper pity party - you know: 'it's not fair, others are losing weight easily and I am not' - I've even been moving more - gym and walking (not ready for the boxing gym yet) and although I feel great when I've done it, when the scale is stagnant I wonder why I bother! I really have to try and get my head in a better place. I haven't turned to junk food yet... I have been so close though. I know I have said it before, but it just seems like my body wants to stay here and that is the part that I find really annoying - why has it chosen this set point when I am still medically obese! GRRRRRR!!!

WOW - never mind the weight you have lost, look at the years you have lost... you both look soooo much younger and full of life. I just love the realism in your pictures, the way you both are clearly 'together'! Such a great success story from you! As the others have said, heart warming and inspirational! Thank you for posting.

Cheri, Firstly, wow... you look so beautiful! I love your recent picture ,,, makes me want to give you a big baby cwtch (welsh fir hug)! You always speak so much sense... and over the last 2 1/2 years you have been beside me every step of the way, Between you and a few other old timers on here, you really have made a difference to me... encouraged me, cheered me on and cheered me up! You know my story... but I will share it again for the newbies. My sleeve is now 2 1/2 years old... it has great restriction and does a lot of good work. My head is now in line with my sleeve, but this has taken longer. Not with respect to the food side of it... that is a physical thing that I was quickly acquainted with, but emotionally it took me longer to realise that I was doing well. I am, and have always been a slow loser... on any given 'diet' I would never lose more that 7lbs and that would take me 2 -3 months to do. I have lost a total of 74 lbs and this happened in the first 16 mths. For over a year, I have not lost a single pound... regardless of what I do or don't eat and the way I move or don't move. It would appear that my body is happy here at this weight and doesn't want to lose any more - even though my mind wants to see smaller numbers and my doc would like to see me out of the obese range on the BMI chart. However, in that time I have gone down a whole dress size. I started off in a UK 22-24 and I am now a UK 14 and have been for a year - this was my original size goal. I have had a few health worries over the last year that might have impacted my weight loss... but I can't use those as an excuse. (On set of early menopause and trying out HRT - didn't suit me; I don't take any thing now and I had a nasty back problem that made me stop my training/gym. I am finding it hard to get back to hard exercise now - something I need to work on.) Not reaching goal does have an upside too... I have never gained! I have read some sleevers, who dipped to goal super quick and then had a dramatic regain... I have been sat at this weight comfortably for over a year and I am happy with my 2-4lb bounce range. If I go over that... I get focused and it goes away. I am currently upping the anti again, in another effort to get to my surgeon's goal... I am just 10-12lbs away. My hubby is on board now too... he wants to lose about 24lbs ... it is easier to do it with someone else at this stage. There is a part of me that just doesn't want to give up... I would love to post a goal thread but I am also realistic that this might never be the case. If it happens I will be happy... if it doesn't I will remain healthy. So with that in mind I am looking into getting the skin from my middle removed - I am looking at a TT and possible uplift. Once this is done, I guess I will be done! I don't want to be perfect but I do want my body to look like my face...lol I have started to realise that just because I am not at my weight goal that I am still successful. I think that the over emphasis on the numbers at the beginning of this process for me, took away each successful pound lost. That was not a good move! Looking back I should have also focused on how I FELT and how I looked. Just today, someone asked me if I had lost more weight... the body is a wonderful thing!! For all slower losers and newbies... remember, this is about YOU... not about someone else who farted and lost 14 lbs! Ok, that is a little over the top, but you know what I mean. The whole reason for the sleeve is to get fit and healthy... if that is how you feel, regardless of your weight... then, in my eyes, you are a winner. The sleeve has no expiry date - it is with us for life.

Forgot to say... the one thing I haven't picked up properly is exercise... I do walk and I occasionally go to the gym ... but I am not doing it regularly like I did this time last year. Since I had problems with my back, I am worried about 'hard' exercise because I really don't want to experience that sort of pain again! I do miss it though, especially the boxing gym, so I think, when I am ready, I will work my way back there.

I thought I would put a quick up date... I had a 'relaxed' December - ate and drank what I wanted and it did result in a little gain. I have a persoanal bounce range and I went over that by a pound or two... now that is back off and I am in the middle of the bounce range again, 2lb off my lowest. I never made either my goal or my surgeon's goal. Since the New Year, I am back to eating very clean... I've cut out all breads, grains, a lot of sugar and I am feeling the benefits. I am not looking for food between meals, my hunger (ok, it wasn't bad but there sometimes) isn't around and my headaches have pretty much gone. I think, this is how I have to eat now, and to be honest, it isn't so bad! The food I eat is delicious, home cooked and fresh. It tastes so much better than processed crap! My portion sizes are still good and although I can eat an ounce or so more than I could at 12mths post op, I am happier with this because I don't feel deprived! I still want to get to my surgeons goal... I'm 10-12lbs away from that... My hubby is eating the same way as me now, he's lost 10lb! It is easier to eat this way when there is someone with you... I've also booked a TT consultation, with a possible uplift/implant. You never know, perhaps the surgeon could remove 10lbs of skin....lol!! Sometimes I think not making goal has been a blessing for me... because I read the stories of regain after and I think that would be emotionally harder! We all just gotta keep on keeping on... we are in this for LIFE!

Hey...Just a quick update... the open evening was really good. It wasn't a 'sales pitch' but more of an informative chat. I was impressed with the surgeon and his 20 yrs experience... had a chat with him afterwards and I liked his vibes. Felt relaxed. So, I've booked a consultation for the 21 Feb and a provision op date for the 23 March ... that is just two months away. After the consultation which will cost £150, I will have a secure figure of the procedure(s)! I am starting to feel a little excited by this and it is all starting to feel real! Oh and I saw the lower end of my bounce range too.... please let this continue downwards as I am working so hard on eating clean, good food! And as a side note hubby has lost more too... down 10lbs now! Jammy bugger!! lol Hope you are all well...

Chia seeds are really good as are flax seeds... both of these bad boys help me!

wow... FYE, now that is interesting... what kind of foods have you added? I'm guessing some good nuts... I've just found a love for macadamia nuts ...mmmmmm! I too would be scared to eat more. I did track my calories the other day and I was just over 1000... haven't done it since, I do it only now and again to see how I am doing - but I know that it is not typical - I am probably higher. It is weird since ditching the wheat, flour and grains I have days where I am barely hungry and eat little -as when I tracked - then there are days where I eat a lot more. I suppose it is a bit like a natural calorie cycling type-thing? As you know my hubby is following the caveman style of eating with me... he has lost 10lbs in three weeks! His stomach acid has reduced considerably and he appears a lot leaner - even though he isn't really that big (he only want to lose 20lbs or so) Keep us updated on your progress FYE.