M2G

That is hard, but sounds like it will be okay! Look at all those 20's and 2's in your new date...good strong date. :-) Mine was 10-22-10 and for some odd reason I really like the date!

Okay, checking in over here and waiting for the day our lovely Coops tells us that she strutted her stuff at the pool! I have some wonderful news to share!!!! I FINALLY AM NO LONGER OBESE(according to the BMI scale!) WOW! I've been waiting over 15 months for that WORD to disappear from my medical profile. WOW. However, this week was bad workout-wise and I'm wondering if that is partly why I finally slipped below >30 on the chart. My whole family has been sick, started with my oldest (11 yo) DD, she got strep. Then my hubby was sick. Then my youngest DD (9 yo) got strep and I finally went and got tested but it came back neg. So I muddled through the week, (starting feeling ill Mon. night) and today, Sun AM I think I am finally better. So I did not hardly work out at ALL this week, and I can feel it. I plan to get some exercise today, and again on Mon. and hopefully get back up to where I was before falling ill. So other than being SICK, this was a great week since I finally am no longer medically obese!!! :horn:

I think the more you guys can talk about what is going on the better. My hubby and I were both sleeved (I was about 5 months before him) so thankfully we've enjoyed the journey together, so there is little to argue about when it comes to food, buying new clothes, or looking -10 years younger. But having said that, I think that this is a very common problem with WLS patients. I think talking about it (EVERYTHING) is the real key. Is she thinking you are going to leave her? Is it truly that you have to eat some treats after working so hard to lose the weight (gah, don't we all WISH we had THAT problem...side note, I agree with SKcunningham don't let the treats become a slippery slope in regards to your health, talk to a dietician...even a good big spoonful of Peanut Butter will net you around +200 extra calories a day!), OR is there something else that is bothering her. Is your success highlighting her failures? TALK about it and maybe in front of a non-interested 3rd party (counselor, pastor, etc.) Good luck, this stuff is never easy, but most things that we value in our lives are things we have to WORK hard at! Hang in there!

YAY, I'm glad your surgery was a sucess, and I'm sure once you are healed you will love the results!

For the Flexees get the size you are wearing. I started wearing the Flexees tops and tanks when I was probably 3 or 4 months post-op and I was buying the 2XL. Now I buy the L. Oh and one day I actually decided to READ the tag, and it mentioned STEPPING INTO the tank and pulling it up over your body that way! Much easier! I had a girfriend try one on at Kohl's (going over the head) and she said she thought they were gonig to have call the fire dept. to get her unstuck (she just grabbed the size she thought she would need and half way INTO it realized that it was NOT going to GO!) She called to tell me the story and I was crying with laughter. OMG! So yeah, don't try and go too small and STEP into them instead of hauling them over your head.

Awwww, S, I'm so sorry to hear this! I am praying for you and hoping that this is just a temporary bump in the road. Hugs to you! Stay positive and come hear anytime you need uplifting...we are all HERE for you! Hugs!

Totally agree. That is awful. My physch eval was great, I had to self-pay for it (even though my surgery was mostly (well $5K out of my pocket) covered thru insurance) but thank goodness she did NOT just hand me a 200 page questionairre. She actually got me talking, asked questions, mostly about my upbringing, my family and support system, and most importantly of all that I understood this surgery was a tool and not a magic bullet. She was nice, normal and she did all the work (ie. wrote down notes, etc.) instead of just giving me a form to fill out. I really liked that part because all I had to do was talk. Something I'm good at.

I am 100% happy with my decision, zero regrets, would do it again in a heartbeat! That being said, I think everyone has to do what is best for them and no matter what WLS you choose, PUT THE TIME, EFFORT, ENERGY and FOCUS into making it work for you. Learn the rules of your tool and use whatever tool you choose to the best of your ability!

WOW! Congratulations! I know we say this about everyone, but it still amazes me that we all lose weight AND lose about -10 years off our age! :woot:

Congratulations on all of the above (well except the gallbladder, hey though good news: you will NEVER again have that awful pain!) Thanks for the update, look forward to hearing more about the wedding, the dress, etc...such an exciting time!

Congrats on how far you have come on your "journey to health" (I say that, because I would have been that person that would have argued that I was among the healthy-obese, but since losing almost -100lbs, I cannot tell you how much BETTER I feel!) I think sometimes people mistakenly think that this journey is all about vanity (and I can't argue that it is indeed a part of it) but for me it truly has been been a journey back to health. Looking better? Well, we can't argue with the facts, right? I think male or female we all have that internal struggle about the fact that people could not see past our OBESITY to see the real us. That has been the best part of the journey for me, is making my OUTSIDES match my INSIDES. I'm still the same person, but living in a totally different body! Do not let the negative thoughts invade, I know we all have them, but you have come to far to let them back into your daily life now. So cheers to your health, looking and feeling better and being the best YOU that you can be.

S - OMG you are so beautiful and such an inspiration to everyone here! HAPPY 17 MONTH SURGIVERSARY!!! You are rocking maintenance....yeah baby that is the ultimate goal for everyone!!!

Just absolutely *love* this! Wonderful advice from a wonderful lady!

My dr. doesn't make us do pre-op liquid diet. His rules were clear liquid for 24 hours prior to surgery. I've seen my surgery on video tape, he actually had a special tool that held the liver up and out of his way. My starting BMI was over 45.

Irene, you look absolutely amazing! You are so right about everything we go through in this "journey to health" and I wouldn't trade any of it for anything because it has made me who I am today. Thanks as always for continuing to inspire people to be the best they can be and for being a personal role model to me! :first:

I think there are different stats for different WLSurgeries, but the average expected loss is around 60% of your excess weight. To figure out your excess weight, figure out what weight you would be at a BMI of 25. Take your CURRENT weight and subtract the weight at which you would have a normal BMI. Take that number and times it by .6. That will give you an amount that you can expect to lose with any of the weight loss surgeries. For example a woman who is 5'5" a BMI of 25 means they should weigh 150lbs. If the person currently weighs 275lbs, they have an excess of 125lbs on their body. Take 125 and times it by .6 which equals 75. Statistically speaking your WLS is considered a success when you lose 75lbs. I hope that makes sense!

That is what I lost in 2.5 months! Enjoy it!!! The further out from surgery you get, the rapid weight loss seems to slow down considerably. I say this not to scare you but to encourage you to take full advantage of the honeymoon period of your WLS. Don't stray from program dn keep doing your surgeon's reccomendation. -36 is awesome! Congrats!

Thanks Coops! You are an awesome friend my dear. I *hate* it but I think my da*m scale is going to make me WAIT to cross the -100 mark. Aaargh!

I had my gall bladder out almost 13 years ago after doing a long stint on Medifast. It was a risk I knew about (rapid weight loss can contribute to gall stones, among other things) so yes having WLS (and the rapid weight loss that accompanies it) can create gall bladder issues. Mine was already gone so it wasn't a worry at all, However, my husband still has his GB and has been sleeved for 10 months without any issues (so far, knock on wood!) The pain is unlike anything I've ever felt (the pain comes from passing a stone through your system.) My best description of it, is a feeling like someone took ahold of my insides and squeezed as hard as possible. Nothing I did would alliviate the pain, the pain only goes away when the stone has successfully passed through your system. Then you feel instantly better, until the next attack!

I'm so sorry to hear about your ordeal. A leak is definitely a big risk with this surgery and I'm sorry you were one of the few who developed one. I am happy that you are home and on the mend, and it sounds like they are not planning another surgery to fix it? I may have missed an update on that but it sounds like you are in wait-and-see mode. Please know our thoughts are with you and I hope your healing speeds up and you start to feel better soon! HUGS!

Checking in with all you lovely ladies over here!!! So during the holidays I bounced up in early Dec. from my all time low, and then I was able to maintain that higher weight through the holidays (which is still a shock to me considering I had 5 days of without exercise, that NEVER HAPPENS and all the little treats I consumed!) However, since Jan. 1st, I'm happy to report a -6lb loss. I think the inital buzz has worn off as my scale has been giving me the same number for about 3 days in a row now. I've been doing 800 cals a day, <30g carbs (really between 30-80 but trying to stay closer to 30) and +70g Protein daily. I weigh and measure absolutely everything I'm eating. I saw my surgeon and my NUT last week and they both ok'd the lower cal deal. I was doing about 1000-1400 daily and not getting results, so this is a combination of what I've heard works for others and my surgeon and NUT are both letting me try it. Sort of a "lab rat" if you will. My surgeon wants to see me again in 3 months (which will be my 18 month appt) and pull labs, etc. so that is keeping me on my toes. I can't get lazy now. I was feeling really blue this week and I'm not sure why. I exercise daily, BUT my treadmill had a issue last weekend and I wasn't able to run at all for a WHOLE week! My hubby fixed it thought and I went for a run this am and already I'm feeling better!! YAY! Keep on going ladies, our new mantra is NEVER GIVE UP!!!

Lookie how close you are to goal!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I remember you and how much trouble you had in the beginning! I am so sorry to hear that you are still experiencing trouble. That does NOT seem normal to me (but then again I have never even ONCE thrown up with my sleeve) and honestly that sounds like no way to live!!! I'm assuming you have been in contact with your surgeon. Is there nothing that can be done? I remember your story but forgive me for not remembering the circumstances of your complications. It honestly sounds like you have a stricture or something. Is it ALL food that makes you nauseous? Again, I am so sorry you are still having trouble. I hope there is something that can be done.

Okay, an update from the over-one-year-and-still-trying-to-lose-club (hey that should be a forum!) Anyway, I am now down -6lbs so far this year. Today is Jan. 14th so in two weeks time I've lost -6lbs. Goal is getting closer one lb at a time!!! SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :Banane10:

Okay, joining in...I would LOVE to lose 15 of the 21lbs I have left. I *know* it doesn't seem like much, but I'm 15 months out and the loss has been reeeeeally slow since about 8 months post-op. But I'm up for the challenge...thanks for starting the thread BD!