sarsar

Yes, lots of skin. I worked out bf surgery... weights and cardio and have worked out ever since surgery. I do a lot of weights and cardio and there is still skin. I do have a lot of muscle and the skin just hangs over the muscle. Because of the muscle I weigh more but wear a smaller size, and would even be a size smaller if I didn't have the skin. The skin gets in the way when I am working out and I can't stand it. I wear spanks all the time but the skin is still in the way. I have a consult for plastics next week to see how much it will cost for it to be removed. I am 40 and have had 3 children, I was overweight for 15 years and before that was always thin. Even though I have loose skin, I will take it any day over being fat. I don't like it but it's much better than being fat and uncomfortable!

Do you have tape over your incisions? Sounds like you are allergic to something. I am allergic to anything with latex and I get a rash and hives and itch like crazy.

I have a Water bottle with me ALL the time and I just make myself drink. My water bottle is 32 ounces. Normally I drink 4 of those a day but in the past couple weeks I have increased my water intake to 6 of the bottles each day. I also drink tea in the mornings and add some water to my morning Protein drink. I drink when I am in the car picking or dropping off the kids, I drink when I am sitting on the computer, I just keep at it. Now it's a habit and if I don't have my water bottle with me something doesn't feel right. I am sure the knee pain was unrelated and was just from using it more than you are used to.

Almost 2 years out and I can't eat 2 tacos. One fills me up. I could eat the other one a couple hours later.

You won't gain with working out.In fact, if you don't eat enough calories you will have a hard time losing and will most likely get stuck in a stall. Also, the weight training is going to help tremendously with firming up your muscles and giving you a toned look. That along with the cardio will work great!

When did you have your surgery? You will need to up your calories if you are working out hard. Usually with a trainer you will work out harder than you will on your own. You won't gain weight, you need more calories bc you burn more calories. You can start by adding an extra protein drink.

I am a little farther south than you...Milwaukee area. I actually had the sleeve done almost 2 years ago with Dr. Aceves. You will love him and his staff!

I will be having my first consult for plastics in a couple weeks. I found a surgeon that will do a free consult and that's where I wanted to start because I hate to pay for a consult when I don't even know when I will have surgery. I need to have a lower body lift and possibly a tummy tuck. Not sure how much skin will be removed from the tummy with the lower body lift. I am so sick of all of the skin being in the way, I hate it. It is in the way when I workout even with spanx. I just don't want to deal with it anymore. I am compiling a list of questions to ask the surgeon. What do you suggest I put on the list? Thanks, Sarah

Hi! I'm from WI also. Enjoying this wonderful Spring weather...NOT! Welcome!

I am still freezing almost 2 years out! Very normal. I will take it any day over the sweating that I used to do!!

Congratulations! I suggest keeping your largest pair of pants and that pinstriped shirt forever. It's fun to try them on when you are at your goal weight. Every few months I try my huge size 24 jeans on just to remind myself where I once was and where I will never be again!

I am right there with you on this! I am in a size 8, medium tops even some small. When my clothes are on and I'm covered and I look in the mirror I think I look ok. When the clothes come off and everything is hanging or when I am working out and skin is flopping around (even with the spanx) I see myself a lot bigger than I am. I want that tight body that fit people have, I feel like if I had that then I would see myself the same with or without clothes. I have an appointment for a plastics consult in a couple of weeks. I am anxious to see what he has to say. But, I would like to be content without plastics, too. I just don't know if I can get there.

I can completely relate to what you are saying. I was so depressed about being fat. I woke up thinking about it, fell asleep thinking about being fat, and even dreamed about it. It took over my life...the guilt, the sadness...I hated it.I hated shopping and couldn't wait to dress in cute clothes! Things will be different, they really will be. But, why wait? Why not start by making small changes? You said you got Water, that's a start! Drink water, lots of it. Start carrying around a water bottle with you ALL the time, and drink a lot. Start making small changes to your diet...adding more veggies and fruits. Start exercising. Walking is great if you are not used to doing any exercise. The added benefit of exercise is that you will get those happy hormones flowing and you will feel better about yourself. Plus, I honestly believe your recovery will be smoother. You can do this! Soon your depression over being fat will be gone. You will no longer think about your weight ever moment of your life. You will enjoy life again and shopping will be fun! Hang in there!

It sounds like you may need to hydrate more throughout the day before you exercise and also take sips while you are exercising. If you are not used to exercising at all, it is very normal to feel bad and feel like you are going to pass out when your heart rate rises while you are exercising.

I don't have anything to add but wanted to say how very sorry I am that you are going through this.

I still have mine at almost 2 years out. I haven't had any problems with mine.

The sleeve won't fix the emotional eating but it will make it impossible to do for at least 2 years, I plan to learn new coping mechanisms before my honey moon is over. At least with 2/3 of the problem at bay, I will have a fighting chance to finally win this time. Not that I have not before but the cost was so high (under eating and over training is hard to maintain). I copied this reply from where you first posted. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery! I would like to comment and let you know that it will not be impossible to emotional eat for the first 2 years. Emotional eating is what most overweight people deal with. This is something you will have to work on but I wanted to let you know that it will most likely be a struggle from the start. You may not have much hunger but emotionally you will probably still want to eat. Your sleeve will help you by not letting you eat the same amount as you used to eat. After a couple of months, emotional eating can take over and you can eat the wrong foods and hinder your weight loss. I could eat chips, ice cream, candy and many other foods all day long. I can fit a lot of them in my sleeve and they don't stay in there very long, this is something you will quickly learn. I have to make a choice every day about what I put in my mouth. As long as I stick to Protein first and make sure I get in my fruit and veggies and drink a lot of Water I am ok. I know that eating healthy makes me feel good and being thin makes me feel good and that's what keeps me on the right path. Is emotional eating still an issue? Yes, at times it is. But, with this wonderful tool, I have learned to deal with my emotions in other ways and usually I succeed in this. I am almost 2 years out so I can't comment on what will happen 3-6 years out. I can tell you that I have learned a lot and I plan to continue this because it is my new way of living and I love it! In light of this I am wondering what the best middle ground might be. I am discussing this with my doctor but would like to hear more about real people with actual life experience. Has anyone here had a large bougie 40 and up ? I have not so I cannot comment on this. I haven't heard of many people using a bougie that large but I am sure they are out there. I do have some acid reflux issues since surgery. As long as I take my PPI I don't have any problems. I try going off of it every week or two for a day or two but the reflux is still there so I will continue to take it. Best of luck to you

I also think that a vet is at least a year out. There are plenty of other places on this forum that is open to all...newbies and vets. It's nice to have a place where those of us who are longer out in our journey can come together and talk. Personally, I don't feel a person has to be at a set goal weight to be a vet. I never made a set goal weight that I wanted to be at. I knew that I would be happy when I got to a certain point and I would know what it was when I got there. Hope that makes sense. We will all have different views on what a vet is but I think it's a great idea to get a consensus and stick with it. I also love what was said about a vet respecting the topics on the forums. When you have been around for a while you really should respect what is being discussed and if a forum has been made with certain guidelines, respect those guidelines. Read and learn, but if someone is asked not to participate in the vet forum unless they are a certain point out, then don't. I don't believe this forum was made to make the newbies feel bad or unwanted. On the contrary, it has nothing to do with newbies. It is a forum for the vets. This does not make us vets and better than newbies we are just at a different stage in our sleeve journey. We have different concerns and are looking for a place where we can come together with just vets.

SarSar, how much protein are you consuming each day? As I recently posted on another thread, the purpose for me getting sleeved was so I didn't HAVE to be on any specialized diets anymore. Throughout the day I ensure I get a balance of nutrients and liquids. Well balanced meals are our goal ... not another diet ... Right? Totally agree! I don't feel like I'm on a diet at all and I took the same approach you did, still do.I don't limit carbs or count calories. I eat protein first and the problem I have is that after I eat protein I don't have much room for anything else.I try to get in some veggies and fruit after my protein and I eat them for snacks also. I get about 100 g protein a day. I also work out 5-6 times a week, this includes weight lifting 2 or 3 times a week. I have found that if I eat less protein I am hungry more often so this seems to be where I am happy. I drink a smoothie daily which has a couple cups of spinach along with 2 servings or so of whatever kind of fruit I want. The smoothies go down easy and I can get a few servings of fruits and veggies easier this way than eating them whole and I love how they taste! Also, I drink 128 ounces of water a day. This I do keep track of, my water bottle is 32 ounces and I drink 4 of them a day. I also drink tea in the mornings and have milk and water in my protein drink that I have for breakfast. Any suggestions on what I can do with my daily diet to make myself more regular is greatly appreciated! Sarah

You may never be normal again in that area. Almost 2 years out and now I deal with constipation most of the time bc of all the protein I eat. The amount of fruits and veggies are small compared to the amount of protein so I can't seem to get myself regular. I will take it, though. Much better than being overweight!

I like the vet board bc, as stated above, life is totally different for vets than it is for newbies. Personally, I think a vet should be at least a year out. The majority of the weight has been lost by this time and things are not "new" anymore. At this point, for me at least, is when things were finally becoming normal for me. I was starting to really live my life and not worry so much about what I ate, how much I ate and how I felt when I ate it. I had that under control and could really start living! I don't post a lot on VSG, I don't even know how many posts I have made, I just don't pay attention to that. I do come on and read posts almost every day. Like other vets have said all of the newbie questions have been asked over and over again and sometimes I don't feel like responding to them so I don't. This isn't a bash towards the newbies. I was there once and was so thankful to be able to ask those same questions and to be able to find answers. One thing I was thinking about the other day when I noticed a newbie had posted in the vet board is that I think bc the new posts automatically come up on the right hand side that some people just answer and don't even know what group that post was posted in. I know that I have done that plenty of times. The right hand side new posts is what I look at first when I log on. So I guess I am trying to say that I like having a vet board. It might be nice to have a closed board. Maybe that would make it easier on the ops bc there are so many peopel on this site it has to be incredibly hard to moderate this site plus make sure every single post is from a vet. Especially lately with all of the craziness that has taken place on VSG. Sarah

A few years ago I found my personal trainer on CL, I still train with her now. She trains out of her home and is so much more affordable than a personal trainer in a gym. I have also tried a couple of trainers through Groupon or Living Social. That way I only pay a little to see if we are a match. I like to have another trainer that I enjoy working with for times when my trainer is out of town. I am actually taking a personal training class right now. I enjoy it so much that I have decided to become certified so I can help other people reach their goals!

You will be fine without a passport. When I went a girl that was in the car with us didn't have one, they didn't even ask for it. My sister just came home from there last week and she didn't have one, they didn't ask for hers either.

Are you flying? Are you asking how to get one at the airport? If so, just let them know when you buy your ticket that you would like a wheelchair. When you get to the airport let the person at the desk know and they will get one for you and someone will take you to the gate. It doesn't cost anything.