emily_0192010

Congrats!!! It is always the NSV's that mean the most! You DO look fabulous

Until the last 30 lbs or so... I looked exactly the same, only smaller. LOL. My "shape" didn't change. It was very difficult for me to the see the weight loss on myself. The last 30 lbs though my shape changed... my fat rolls are pretty much gone, my stomach is flatter, my sides pulled in a lot. I can finally really and truly see a difference in myself!!

You were just sleeved, so of course you can eat more now! You are still in healing mode. For a long time your stomach will be swollen, which limits your capacity. Most people don't hit their "normal" capacity till a few months out. Don't worry about stretching your sleeve... the chance of you doing that is incredibly slim and at this stage pretty much non-existent. Just follow your rules, stick to your water and protein and vitamins and don't worry!! As for not getting on the scale, you don't have to! Some people have the willpower to only weigh in once a month. It takes a lot of stress away as it tends to remove any "stalls" (because you won't see them). Right now you are in your third week right? Or close to it? Many people stall at this point. In fact it is notorious! So if you didn't lose weight, don't sweat it. Its just our bodies saying "whoa, what the heck did you do??" they freak out a little and put the weigh loss on hold but then BOOM its over and your back on your journey. Congrats on being sleeved. Try not to freak out too much Seriously just concentrate on protein and water and don't worry about anything else.

Hey I'm 21 as well and I don't really miss the whole "party" thing. At 7 months out I do enjoy a glass of wine or share a beer occasionally (like, a couple times a month... maybe). I can't do mixed drinks and I haven't tried shots. The reason is because they hit me WAY too fast. I ordered one and I barely took a few sips and my head was spinning. If a drink can affect me that way there is no way I'm trying a shot. My sleeve couldn't handle it. That being said, a glass of wine makes me tipsy. I generally don't like that feeling so I don't normally finish it and I sip it over the entire dinner (if i'm out). You are right, we cannot "party" like most people. But we can still have a good time. And hey, we are "cheap" dates now right NO complaining there!

I have lost over 100 lbs!! 115 actually. I am 7 months post-op. I lost 40lbs pre-op during my 3 month "physician supervised" weight loss. My surgeon was Dr. Pinnar in Jax, Fl. He was quiet, no nonsense type of guy. But at the same time he has a couple of jokes up his sleeve (its kinda cute, he obviously only has a couple up his repertoire that he repeats). I felt totally safe with him. He is very, super, ultra cautious about leaks. So he does everything he can to prevent them. I went to my first information session on 4/5/11... my first appt was on 5/4/11 and my surgery was 9/19/11. So I suppose the entire journey took 5 1/2 months. My best advice on picking a surgeon is to go to an information session or an support group. Most of the time the surgeon is there and that is a really good chance to feel them out and see if you like them or not. They are also generally free, and you can meet people and talk in person. Good luck!!! Hopefully we'll be welcoming you to the loser's bench soon!

Thank you for sharing!!! Congrats on your amazing success!!

YAY! Breaking a stall always feels fantastic!! And don't be sad about 7 lbs... that is a month that you didn't gain, that you didn't continue with the bad habits... that is seven whole freakin pounds GONE! And if you do 7 pounds for a year... that adds up!! A LOT! Keep up the great work! When it comes to stalls just remember, protein, water and vitamins. As long as your are hitting your mins and getting your vitamins in don't worry about the number. It will have to move eventually!

My surgeon told me as soon as two weeks BUT if I want to have "pretty" scars I should wait 4-6. He said swimming can damage the baby skin and it would make the scar much more noticeable. As for swimming for exercise he went to his old stand-by "if it hurts, don't do it". He said I was fine to just "hang out" in the pool as early as two weeks, but that I should hold off on swimming laps, etc until I was completely pain free. No matter what though, clear it with your doctor first. Our surgeon's can be so fickle sometimes, its better to just get the okay from them. Hope that helps!

Hello- I am not done with my journey quite yet. I have at least another 12 lbs before i'll be content with my weight loss. I am currently 115 lbs and if I stayed the way I am right now, forever... I would be okay with no surgery. Do I have a nice and "neat" body... nope. *Could* I use plastic surgery? Sure, but at this point I'm okay with not doing it. I can easily "hide" my tummy skin with a spanx-thing (I use the cheap one from target...) and my legs really aren't that bad at all. My "bat wings" bug me, but they have definitely gotten smaller so I can only hope they will continue to do so. I guess what I'm trying to see is the no, I do not NEED it. My skin isn't so bad that I have skin rashes, etc. which would be a medical need to have plastics. I am much happier in my much smaller, slightly flabbier body then I was in my big body. I will also throw in there that I never really exercised. I'm starting now and have already noticed myself toning up well.

Congrats on being sleeved You DEFINITELY came to the right forum for advice and tips! Have fun on your journey! I was sleeved exactly 7 months before you (9/19/2011) and before you know it, YOU will be where I am now and LOVING it!

LOL congrats It's amazing how much more we can see and feel (bones!! lol) as we lose the weight

I get the hiccups if I eat a bit too much or eat too fast You'll figure it out eventually. For now though, definitely only eat what you measured and wait a while before eating again. You really don't want to push at this stage.

I agree with you on this! Maybe I didn't understand you earlier. I will always say "yes, go for it" AS LONG as they are emotionally and mentally stable enough to deal with it. I think this is one of the reasons most of us have to go through psych evals, to make sure we have the tools and support necessary to deal with the emotional roller coaster that is our sleeve. The whole "not able to predict" is true... to a point. Enough people have gone before us at this point that we can at least anticipate some of what is to come. I personally feel that is enough to base your decision on. Because its not just with WLS that we cannot predict the emotional aspect of things. Anything new and drastic can have those consequences as well, during our everyday lives. We have to take the risk at some point in our lives. Might as well do it and better yourself along the way right? Especially since most of us aren't doing this just to "look prettier" but rather to be healthier. And you are definitely NOT a nut!!! And even if you were... I love nuts They have great Protein

Hey, sorry for peaking Check out the "men's room". Its a whole section where the guys post, and the ladies lurk, just FYI lol! Congrats on getting your approval. You're surgery will be here before you know it!

It sounds like you are in a stall! It happens to everyone, at any point during our journeys! The last two months I've only lost one week out of the 8... it sucks big time but it happens. Focus on the fact that you are losing inches! That is great. I think sometimes our body just puts the brakes on for awhile as a way of saying "whoooaaaa, what are you doing to me!! I need time to process!". Just keep doing what you are doing and focus on the long term. Before you know it, it will pass and you be on your journey again. Good luck

It sure does!!! I'm 7 months out and I rarely eat anything other than meat and cheese. I lived in Brooklyn, NY for a few months and so many people I met there were vegans... it was always amusing eating out with them. I ate the complete opposite diet! But, it works for me. And it is sooo worth it!! On days where I really just don't feel like eating meats or I want a high carb day I just make sure to get in an extra shake or two to make sure I hit my Protein goals. I suppose you could also try adding in tofu or nuts to your diet, but neither are particularly high sources of protein.

Yes, absolutely! With zero hesitation I would. Long term scientific results of this surgery aren't readily available because it hasn't been used by itself for very long. The sleeve was originally used as the first part of the old duodenal switch procedure. So the sleeve itself is not new, but by itself it is. Before having my surgery I researched the long term effects of "gastrectomies" in general. People have parts or all of their stomachs removed for other reasons, such as cancer, ulcers, trauma, etc. Their positive results helped set my mind at ease and proceed with my sleeve.

Depending on the person and their individual situation... I would say YES! This was the best decision I ever made. It was (and is) tough mentally, emotionally and physically but I have not only lost the weight but I have learned so much about myself. You are right that it cannot be adequately described and people have to be careful with their mental status and stamina... but if people took that thinking to everything in their life they would be stuck forever. None of us completely understood how this would affect our lives, but we all chose to take the plunge. The risk was worth it for us. The most I would ever say to anyone would be "not now, go do some more research and then do it". I also think it depends on the procedure itself. Some are much more drastic (the bypass) than our sleeves. The whole process is life altering- but in such a positive way. I would encourage anyone seriously considering it to pursue it.

Hey Congrats on how well you've been doing! I can't eat the entire 6 inch sub including the bread, but I could minus the bread. Bread still hits me like a rock! Are you a taller guy? I'm pretty sure that could affect the size of your stomach from the very beginner because your organs will be longer than a shorty like me (5'2"). I know I've read on here before some guys saying they could eat a whole sandwich and then some at a further point out. I think you're fine, especially since you are in maintenance already Congrats on getting married!!!

Awesome!!! congratulations These are my favorite type of victories. They really make you feel good about yourself, way more than just the numbers!

It frustrates me to no end when these types of situations happen. I really don't understand why they can't do their jobs properly in the first place!! Good luck and hopefully everything gets resolved quickly for you!

Hello How far out are you from surgery?? If you are more than a month out then I would definitely be trying harder to get Protein in thru some form of food. It sounds like you are still on liquids though. For me, before I could eat food I didn't get in much protein at all because I couldn't get it down. I was having trouble enough with Water or warm liquids as it was. Have you asked your doctor about anti-nausea medicine? Are you puking because your body is rejecting it (that would be an instant reaction to even a small amount) or because you could be drinking too much, too fast? You have to sip Protein shakes even slower than you would something thinner. My other advice is to try to drink some protein that you can do warm. Like warm milk (if you can handle milk at this point) or even a decaf latte (again, if you can handle the milk and you are allowed decaf coffee yet). You could also try soy milk. If you are still close to your surgery date than I wouldn't freak out too much and just focus on getting in your liquids. It gets a bit easier when you can start to add in food again.

The only thing is that for most of us, its totally worth it! I was super sad looking at my old body every day. I see my extra skin and my "bat wings" (under my arms) and even though I don't really *like* them... i'm almost fond of it. It is so much easier to have to deal with those things than carry around the weight every day. Also, when it comes to boobies at least, while they may not look great in the buff... it is very easy to "fake it".

Of course you are not being too emotional!! I am 21 and having a child (in the future, not now ) was one of my motivations to have this surgery. You are not the first on these boards either whose main motivation for the surgery was to have children. I believe there is even section on this site specifically for people post-sleeve who are pregnant or who are trying to become pregnant!! If you haven't already you should check it out for sure Good luck! You're surgery will be here before you know it. And hopefully that beautiful little angel as well