Sleevie WonderLand

Krenee, don't give up. even if you have to do the 6 month pre diet, do it. This surgery is worth it. If you really want to change your life and improve your health and need a tool that will prevent you from overfeeding yourself, then you need to be sleeved. Hang in there, and know that you have an entire community (VST) rooting you on. If you have to do the six month pre diet, then you can use that time to begin changing your eating habits and get a jump start on your exercise regimen. don't get discouraged....get sleeved!

Wow, it's been forever since I've visited the NY Group, and I see we've got a few new members! Welcome Krenee, I'm Sooo Excited, RXTEK320, Kiki Von Moonshine (cute name!), Tana Q, Hibmirn, Fitbottomedgirl, NYCBigGurl, BkDoll, AmberB10021, Ariesgirl, Jimmy Got Soul, BabyPink002, and Beba238! Honestly, when I started this NY group I had aspirations of it turning into something where we could have a group meet up, but as you can see that never worked out. What I can do is let all of you know that I'm no expert or anything but if you have any sleeve questions you wanna ask, i'll do my best to answer, or at least try to point you in the right direction! I'm not on VST as often as I used to be, but if you hit my inbox, I'll get a notification letting me know I have a message. Lets continue to encourage each other in this crazy journey. Sending positive energy and prayers out for those struggling with the pre-op journey as well as the post op journey! Hang in there, it really does get better! New York is frickin awesome. So are we!

Update! Wow. I just re-read my post from October and had the best laugh. All my grief and bit chin was hilarious, but the process was definitely worth it. YES, i'd do it all over again.

Disclaimer: These are strictly my opinions and in know way mean to deter anyone from pursuing VSG. I was sleeved on October 18, 2011. In addition to my new stomach, I've got new realizations about things and would like to share... This sleeve thing is MAJOR surgery. I knew that when I was going in, but you dont fully understand the magnitude and seriousness of it until you wake up with that pain in your gutt. I was not mentally prepared for this surgery. Yes, I had the psych eval. Yes, I researched every possible thing I could think of to make sure I was prepared. I read posts from people who were newly sleeved and complained of pains and troubles during their recovery, but I definitely lived in that "That wont happen to me" world. I figured those people had to be doing something wrong to cause them so much grief. Boy did I get a wake up call after my surgery. Getting sleeved removed 85% of my stomach. My desire to eat for no reason in massive quantities is still very strong. I wish I could sleeve that part of my brain. I havent stopped wanting to have some steak and fried chicken since my surgery. If only they made lobster flavored ice pops, I might find some of my desire to eat real food quelled. "Sharting" is no joke. Dont take your gas for granted, it may be more than just air in that bubble. You will question your decision to get sleeved. You will feel trapped when you realize that there is no turning back. Unlike conventional diets where you can cheat just a little and get back on track; if you try and cheat with a new sleeve, you could kill your self. There are an awful lot of food commercials on tv. No wonder our country suffers so much from obesity. While in the hospital most of the commercials I saw were about food, cars, and Kim Kardashian's wedding. Learning to read my new stomach is still kinda hard even after 6 days in. It gets frustrating, and at times it makes me angry. My old stomach would growl, I'd overfeed it, and all would be well. This new stomach is so picky...sometimes what I think is a small sip will piss new stomach off, and new stomach will give me the worst spasm ever. New stomach dont take no s***. Coughing, sneezing, and laughing are tools of the devil. Boy do they hurt like hell. I thought my couple of days in the hospital would be good for me because I'd be able to get some rest. WRONG! I didnt get more than 4 consecutive hours of sleep at a time because there's always an injection that you need to get, or some kind of medication, or a doctor needs to see your incision sites, or the nurse needs to check your vitals, or they need to deliver your nasty fluids for you to try and ingest, or someone needs to clean your room, or they want you to walk, or you gotta go to the lab and drink that nasty stuff so they can check for leaks, or you gotta go pee, or someone wants to offer you communion, or your roommate's family comes to visit and is loud and smells like cigarette smoke and cabbage and stays until visiting hours are practically over in addition to that hospital bed being hard to get totally comfortable in. I cant stop thinkin about food and what the first real spoonful of food I'm going to have is. Someone asked me if I would do this again. I havent had any weight loss yet, so I'm not totally sure. I'll have to revisit this post and answer once I see the difference in a couple of months. I just hope this pain and discomfort and food craziness in my brain is all worth it. I think my biggest problem is that Im throwing a tantrum because i havent had real food in over 2 weeks. I know restriction is the only way i will lose weight, but I really resent not being able to do what I want to do - be in control of what I want to eat and when. For now my sleeve is calling the shots, and that's a harder pill to swallow than the Prilosec the doc prescribed for me.

Hey VSTers... It's been quite a few weeks since I've checked in. Hope everyone has been losing! I was sleeved in October and have lost 63 pounds so far. I wasn't sure of what I wanted my goal weight to be, I figured I'd play it by ear and see where the weight loss takes me because numbers don't always match the picture you have in your head. I'm a tall girl with a large frame, so going from 252 to 152 isn't going to work for me although that's what the "experts" think my ideal weight should be. I'm currently at 189, wearing a size 10/12, and I'm perfectly happy at this size and weight give or take a few more pounds. I still shake my head in disbelief when I remember that when I started this journey I was wearing a size 22! My dilemma is that I don't know how to maintain the weight I'm at now. I'm still eating like a bird, so i'm assuming the weight is going to continue to come off. I eat any and everything that doesn't upset my stomach (I drink soda on occasion too, don't judge me!) and don't drink Protein shakes. Am I supposed to try to increase my intake? I eat like a bird because I get full really quickly and don't know if I can increase my intake. I know I should probably talk to my nutritionist, but I wanna hear what my VSTers who are living the sleeved life have to say about maintenance.

There is light at the end of the tunnel for sure! Just be patient with yourselves and make note of the journey along the way.

I had a hard time after surgery dealing with my food addiction. The problem is that mentally you want to eat any and everything in sight, especially if you're watching tv because all the advertisements seem to be about FOOD. The problem is that after being sleeved you CANT eat any and everything. Actually, it's not a problem, it's a good thing because that's why most of us end up here trying to get sleeved! I think I bitched about it in my blogs. I was literally having tantrums because I wanted to eat some real food and it was probably a whole 4 weeks before I was able to eat anything solid. I was going crazy and was really resenting the fact that I decided to have the sleeve done. After a few weeks I reasoned with myself and understood that restriction was the only thing that could help me lose weight. As much as I loved food, I loved it too much and had no control and ended up being morbidly obese. So the great thing about being sleeved is that even though you want to over eat and gorge and binge, you physically can't because it hurts so freakin bad if you eat just an ounce more than your new tiny tummy can handle. Eventually you become accustomed to eating the foods you like in much smaller portions, and you begin to appreciate your sleeve once you realize that you're losing weight and still able to enjoy food to an extent. You still get the feeling of being full, and your tastebuds still get to delight in delicious foods and tasty treats! I'm not gonna sugar coat it at all. It wasn't easy for me that first month after being sleeved. But the struggle that I went through was so worth it. I lost 63 pounds so far and haven't looked back since. I'm down from a size 22 to a size 10 and couldn't be happier. My suggestion which will probably get frowned upon by many is for you to enjoy your favorite meal before your surgery. Don't over do it, but if you like steak, then have a steak before you go in because it will most likely be a long time before you're able to enjoy a piece of steak again while you're healing. I think I was going insane because I had the pre-op diet going and then had to wait another 4 weeks before eating solids, so essentially I didnt have REAL food for 6 weeks! You know what that does to someone who loves food? LOL All the best to you...safe surgery, quick and easy recovery. Just be patient and take everything in stride. The sleeve is the best decision I've ever made for myself and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Just yapping about the changes I've noticed since being sleeved. Some NSVs, some new revelations. My relationship with food is more enhanced. Since my portions have decreased so much, I really have to savor and enjoy the food that I’m eating. I used to scarf my food down like I was afraid someone was gonna take it away from me. Now I actually TASTE and appreciate the food I’m eating. I used to taste it before too, but dining is now an experience for me where as before it was a task. Does that make sense to you? For example, I’ve been making Spinach Lasagna for my family for years, and they all rant and rave about how good it is. Before I didn’t really eat it, but this past New Years, I had a spoonful, and actually tasted all the herbs and different flavors of the cheeses. That was a great EXPERIENCE for me and my tastebuds. I LOVE going to the gym. A year ago you couldn’t even pay me to step foot in a gym! I guess with the weight loss and the boost of confidence, I’m no longer worried about looking like a fat person trying to lose weight. I get to Planet Fitness, plug my headphones in and I become one with that treadmill, or bike, or ellipticall machine. I have never been this amped and motivated to get in shape. I think getting in shape is the key to this – I’m not focusing on losing weight because that is happening any way. I’m focusing on toning my body and getting my endurance up and seeing that progress makes going to the gym a very enjoyable experience. I don’t know how to shop for clothing anymore! It’s like I’m a stylist trying to give someone a makeover! I’m not complaining because it’s fun! I’m trying on clothes that I would never have considered in my pre-sleeved life. I got so accustomed to going right into Lane Bryant and the other big girl stores and settling for all the oversized blouses and tent like dresses they offer us. I’m not necessarily ready to shop in a skinny girl store for all my clothing yet, but it’s nice to be able to walk into a “regular” store and have the option to wear some of their clothing and not just the jewelry. I loved to shop before, but now that my options for stores to shop in have doubled, I’m in heaven!!! On another note, my ass and boobs have left the building. I wasn’t a Dolly Parton Kardashian candidate before, but now my profile looks like that of a door. You gotta see how I’m going after that glute machine in that gym. SMH. Been looking for “booty pop panties” on EBay and Amazon. New adventures in grocery shopping too! I was never a label reader up until about 2 years ago. Even then I was really only focusing on finding foods that had aspartame in them because I’m trying to stay away from it as much as I can. I would also glance at fiber content, as I like to know that my fam is eating foods rich in fiber. Now I find myself comparing everything to see what has the most protein in it. I am losing my hair. It’s coming out at the root. It’s my fault though because I’ve been neglecting my vitamin regimen as usual. I know, I know. Gotta get my vitamins in, it's essential to my well being. I can see my pubes. My stomach hung so low before that it covered my lady parts. I have gotten comfortable with telling people that I’ve changed my eating habits when they say “What are you doing to lose the weight?”. I tell them that my portions have gotten way smaller, and I’m more aware of what I’m putting in my mouth. I tell them that I’m also going to the gym, trying to get to a healthier place. Who says I have to mention the part about being sleeved? I sat in the movie theatre with my sons to watch the Chipmunks movie the other day. The seat was comfortable. Its usually to snug and I end up having to scooch my self forward to get out of the seat without bruising my hips. Now, no problem. Will definitely be going to the movies a lot more from now on. I have to brush my teeth several times a day. I guess since we have to chew our food so much that we’re more susceptible to plaque. I just know that I hate that feeling – the cheesy film that you feel when you run your tongue across your teeth. Instead of twice a day, I’m up to 4 to 5 times for toothbrushing. Flossing is becoming more frequent too. I have to get my wedding rings sized. They look like hula hoops when I put them on my finger now. Everytime I see someone who is obese I want to run and tell them about the sleeve. I’m realizing that since I’ve gotten more accustomed to my sleeve, the less I get on to VST and the less I have to vlog about on Youtube. I now understand why so many people are all in for months at a time, and then they just disappear and return a year later to announce their “surgiversary.” Once life with your sleeve becomes normal, there isn’t much to report.

Oh yeah, the extra skin...my arms, thighs, stomach... I hate it. If I could get rid of it, I'd probably be 20 pounds lighter than I am now. I've tried everything, nothing is really working for me. I can feel my muscles underneath the skin firming up, but the skin is just hanging on.

I was just worried that I would continue to lose and lose and lose. I guess i'll listen to my body. @Blackberry, I don't think I'm too thin at this weight. I'm loving where I am right now. I don't want to become too thin, especially since I'm tall and have a large frame. If I could remove this flabby skin from my stomach thighs and arms, I'd probably weigh about 170 pounds.

Update: Hairloss slowed down tremendously. Wearing size 10, sometimes 12 clothing. Oh, and I can wear my shirts tucked in to my pants and not look like the michelin man! Still not taking vitamins the way I should, but I'm doing better than I was. Just about at goal weight, I like the way I look in my clothing. Still hitting the glute machine in the gym. Now my booty is firming up but its still flat as hell. smh my boobs have turned into prunes with raisins on the ends as nipples. I finally weigh less than my husband. What an awesome feeling to not feel like I'm gonna smother him. I started telling people that I do weight watchers. Its' easier for them to believe you when you tell them that because they compare the weight loss to Jennifer Hudson. When I was telling them before that I changed my eating habits, for some reason it was harder for them to comprehend. Try the weight watchers story, they'll leave you alone.

There's also a phone app for it, so you can even log in your food items when you're on the go!

myfitnesspal.com is the bomb. If you decide to join, friend me! my handle is sleevie wonder!

Does it count if you can't stop checking your own self out? Gheesh, i've suddenly become a mirror ***** since losing this weight!

I haven't had any food funerals thus far and don't plan to, but I had to let you guys know that this is the CUTEST thread ever.

I thought this was a dumb question, but I dont recall anyone ever mentioning salad in the early phase of being sleeved. I've got the worst craving for a caesar salad, just wondered if it was a good idea to try it.