MlkPas

I'm 6-1/2 months out, 2/3 of the way to goal, no longer "overweight" according to the BMI charts. Honestly, I can't think of anything that rises to the level of a "con!" The most upsetting thing to me so far is that my double chin has turned into a turkey neck, but that would have happened no matter how I lost the weight, and honestly when I'm done losing I plan to run to a plastic surgeon and get it fixed! I had low energy the first couple of months, but now I work out with a trainer twice a week and take tap dance classes twice a week and feel great! Seriously, this surgery has been like a miracle to me. I feel much more "normal" than I ever felt when I wanted to eat everything in sight and was never satisfied!

I think your information is exactly backwards -- people with low BMI's do fantastically well with the sleeve! I started out with a 32 BMI and reached a "normal" BMI of 24.9 this week -- 6.5 months out. And I'm a VERY slow loser! My surgeon says lower BMI patients are the BEST candidates for the sleeve!

Yes, when I told my doc I wanted to get down to 115, he laughed and said "anything below a 25 BMI is just vanity -- but all the ladies want to look like sticks!" But he had no objection, and he said there's no reason I can't get down that low if that's what I want.

Ugh. Hate it. It's just ugly and the ads look like they want to take over the joint!

Mini-Me, I have followed you from the time you had your surgery, back when I was still waiting for mine! You have been so inspirational, and I am so happy for you as you reach this fantastic milestone!! Congratulations and enjoy that beautiful number on the scale and that beautiful woman in the mirror! You deserve every good thing that you have made happen!!!

Wow! I'm glad you got your situation worked out! I wouldn't be surprised if there had been problems with your old trainer before, and this turned out to be the last straw for him. Too bad, though.

I had the surgery with a BMI of 32. I'm at a 25 BMI now and feeling great! Even though I am a huge fan of the sleeve and I feel your pain as a fellow lightweight, I can't imagine going through it with a starting BMI of 26. At most you're probably, what? 25 pounds over what you consider your ideal weight? My suggestion (and really, I say this with all love and respect, as somebody who was a yo-yo dieter for 40 years) is to think about getting some therapy and learning to love yourself the way you are.

These stories are all so great! Congratulations to all!! Yesterday I was at the consignment store, trying on clothes in the big communal dressing room. An elderly lady said to me, "Everything you try on looks so nice, because you have such a lovely figure!" I about died!! Today I went to a bat mitzvah and the father of the bat mitzvah girl came up to me at the party and said, "I was standing up at the podium and I hardly recognized you in the congregation -- I thought 'wow, there's a skinny woman out there who looks just like MlkPas!'" Amazing. I am less than half a pound away from a "normal" BMI and I can hardly believe it!!

It is really interesting, isn't it? I still haven't run into one. single. person. in real life who's had the sleeve (that I know of). But to answer your question, I'm 6-1/2 months out and have already lost 62% of what I consider my excess weight, but I'm only 1.5 pounds away from a BMI of 25, which I guess means I've already lost 98% of my "excess weight" if by "excess weight" you mean "weight that puts me in the 'overweight' category on the BMI charts."

Have you told the trainer exactly what you've told us? That you want to build muscle, not necessarily burn fat? Sounds like you two really need to sit down and hash it out. My trainer was also very skeptical about my very-low-cal diet and the whole WLS thing, but he was willing to work with me and now that we're seeing results, he's a believer in doing things my way. If you've tried that and he still isn't willing to work the way you want to work, sounds like it's time for a new trainer.

No regrets at all. At all, at all. Except that I totally regret this surgery wasn't available 20-plus years ago!! I'm probably the slowest loser on this board, partly because I'm older and partly because I didn't have all that much to lose, but I am still over-the-moon happy with the surgery and my progress. I'd say 85% of my cravings are gone, and the great thing is that even when I give in, the sleeve keeps me from doing too much damage. This operation is the best. thing. ever.

My surgeon did my sleeve for $12,500 including overnight in the hospital. Don't forget to factor in travel costs when you're considering surgery in Mexico.

It all depends on how much you have to lose and where you started. I'm just over 6 months out and have lost about 36 pounds so far, so you are WAY WAY WAY ahead of me! :confused1:

I can actually understand how somebody who isn't educated about WLS might be hesitant because let's face it, diets don't work and most of us have spent thousands of dollars on diets and gyms and trainers and Lord knows what-all that ended up not working. I know I've spent more money than I care to count on weight-loss schemes that absolutely weren't worth it! I think the question isn't "Are YOU worth it?" The question is "Is THIS SURGERY worth it?" Meaning, "If we spend all this money, are you going to get the results are you looking for, or are you going to be disappointed yet again?" So maybe you should consider giving your hubby the benefit of the doubt and concentrate on educating him on the causes of obesity, the reason diets don't work, and why the sleeve is completely different and much more effective than anything else out there. I know that once my husband heard about all that directly from my surgeon, he was completely on board. And now, six months later, he will be the first one to tell you that the money we spent on my VSG is absolutely the best money we've ever spent! I'm not only slimmer than I've been in years, I'm healthier and happier and we both have every confidence that I'm going to get to my goal weight and stay there.

My feeling is that the best way to send that message is very directly: Look him in the eye, and firmly say "Banded Guy, I know you are trying to be helpful and I appreciate the thought, but I need you to stop with the food Police thing. I find it intrusive and disrespectful and I need to you back the heck off, effective immediately. Seriously. Back. Off." You don't need to be mean or mad or upset, but I think it is perfectly okay for you to set this perfectly reasonable boundary. Give him the above speech once, and then every time he slips up (which he will), you can just look at him and smile and say "Back. Off."

No flames here! There is no question that being fat -- especially being a fat woman, and especially being a fat older woman -- is horribly stigmatizing in this society. And getting out from under that stigma is just frickin' priceless!!

I'm 5'2" and was 175 on the day of surgery, which is a BMI of about 32. I'm 6 months out this week and this morning I was 138.8 on my scale. I absolutely breezed through the surgery and recovery with no issues whatsoever -- I only took one dose of the pain meds they sent me home with! I felt like I had pretty low energy for maybe a couple of months, but now I am raring to go -- twice a week I do an hour in the gym with my trainer and then an hour-long dance class and I have plenty of energy!! My weight loss has been super-slow compared to almost everybody else here (just under a pound a week), but I am thrilled to pieces with my progress! I went shopping last week and bought pants in size FOUR!! Here are some photos to give you an idea of my progress. It may not seem very dramatic to those who started out with more to lose, but I'm really happy with it: Before and now:

You know what? I say "Let's hear it for the easy way out!" For me, it hasn't been easy but it's been one hell of a lot easier than dieting and starving and exercising like a maniac for hours every day. What the heck is wrong with losing weight and getting healthy the easy way?? I say "Hooray for the easy way!" It's giving me back my life after 40 years of yo-yo dieting!!

I have the Mirena and I love it! I had a very hard time with spotting and mood swings for about 4 weeks, but it has been totally smooth sailing since then -- and it's been almost 3 years now. Edited to add: You might want to try the birth control patch. Less invasive and easy to quit if it doesn't work out for you.

Congratulations, Lis!! I remember what a hard time you had early on, and it's so thrilling to see you doing so well now!! You are just beautiful as well as being such a wonderful inspiration!!

I still love all my Food Channel shows, too! No harm in watching! LOL

I started with a BMI of 32 (175) lbs, and I've lost 35 pounds in not quite six months. I have about 4 pounds to go to get to a "normal" BMI, and 25 pounds to get to my goal weight. I've lost way way slower than most of the people on this board, but I am thrilled with everything about the sleeve experience. I have every confidence I'll reach my goal eventually, but the best part is being freed from obsessing about food all the time! I have no regrets whatsoever and think this surgery is awesome for people our size!

I totally know how you feel. I had a million Last Suppers and Food Funerals. The good news is that everything changes once the surgery is done. Just do your best and hang in there!!

Carrie, honey, I really hope that when you get to your new home, your very very highest priority will be to find a mental health professional to whom you can talk about all these issues. You've been through a trauma and there's no shame at all in needing some professional help in dealing with it. The sooner you take action to get that help, the better off you and your children will be! Hugs to you and best wishes!!

OMG, C-section was so much worse it isn't even funny! Plus, after the sleeve you get to go home and rest instead of having a newborn baby to take care of! :thumbup1: