LindaS

You look awesome! Congrats.

I am rarely online on the weekends, so I hardly ever update here. I'm glad I caught this thread. I had a pretty dismal loss in December (only 3 pounds), and I quickly doubled that in January. I have stayed where Iam at for more than a week now. I need to up my exercising. I can really tell the difference when I do. Since surgery, I am down 64 pounds and am more than halfway to my goal.

It sounds like it is working just like it did before, which for me was that it didn't work. I have never been able to get the calories in/calories out thing to equal weight loss. For me, 3500 calories less does not and never has equaled one pound loss. But it seems like 200 calories plus has always pretty much equaled 2 pounds gained. It's not fair, but it never has seemed like the math involved in calculating weight loss actually works.

I agree with Lissa about the wife thing. Your spouse should be the BEST you can get, or at least YOU should feel that way, IMHO. My husband has told me for years that I could do bettter than him, and I've always told him he is wrong because I can't imagine anyone better for me than him. For me, he is the perfect man, and I can't do any better. I have no interest in even trying.

I'm glad they found it and are doing something to fix it. I am sorry that it happened. I hope you get better soon!

Your hubby is probably very worried about you and afraid you might have something bad happen because of the surgery. Mine was very worried. He got better and now, he knows it was the right thing for me. The surgery scared him. I think the pre-op diet is the hardest part of the entire process. You are being asked to eat as if you have a sleeve while still having a football-sized stomach. It doesn't make it easy. Eating right will be/is much easier after surgery. You can do this.

I drink when I eat. I do drink less, but I like taking small sips when eating. If I am eating at a restaurant, I order Water because I don't drink enough to bother ordering an entire drink. I don't get sick (and never have). What I don't get when talking about this is how Protein shakes fit in. If drinking makes the food go through fast, and we don't feel full than how do we feel full when we drink an all liquid meal? If this were true, we wouldn't feel full after drinking Protein Shakes.

I am 5.5 months out, and I've had to change my closet completely twice. My first complete change was purchased through second hand stores. Now, I have bought some shirts and things at real stores because I figure a "large" won't be too large.

What a great accomplishment! Great job!

I ended up having a reaction to the bandages. It went away after a week. It was mildly itchy. I used Neosporin topical creme, and I tried different types of bandage adhesives.

It would be difficult for you to know the woman didn't reach her goal without her telling you, so I think that the woman was rationalizing. At the same time, I'm not sure if I am going to reach my stated goal of 140 pounds because I'm not sure if 140 is the right goal for me. I'm 5'7.5" tall and a "normal" BMI for me would put me at 162 pounds. Do I want to be 22 pounds less than that? My BMI would be 21.6. My gorgeous 16-year-old daughter is 5'6" and 140 pounds. Her BMI is 22.6. If I was at a BMI of 22.6 pounds, I don't think I would be actively trying to lose just to attain a goal weight. At some point, I need to be happy with where I am. I don't know if 140 is the "right" weight for me. I have it as a goal, and I am working my sleeve. I exercise and eat with Protein first. I love the results I am seeing. I get excited seeing the weight loss. I want to be healthy, have a normal BMI and have some wiggle room. I can now eat "anything" I want, but I don't. I don't eat candy or junk food. And if I "indulge" myself, it is with just a bite of the indulgent food (like at Christmas time). Most of all, I love how active my weight loss has allowed me to become. My girls sleep on the second floor of our home. I have severe rheumatoid arthritis in my right ankle and before my weight-loss surgery, I rarely went upstairs. Since surgery, I go up there at least once a day if not more. My ankle isn't stopping me anymore. I may decide in the future that 140 is too small for me. I may not. I'm not worried too much about the scale. I want to look and be healthy. I want to be active. I want to keep exercise as part of my regular way of life. I want to see how far I can push the muscles that are developing. I try not to look at my body and see the bad things -- like the droopy stretchmarked lower portion of my belly. I try to look and see the good things. I want to see more of them. I don't believe there is a time period before I can reach my goal. I am making this work for me, and it is a change for the rest of my life. If I decide to not make it to my goal, it will not be because I've given up.

Parents are protective and try to think of the good/bad things and warn their kids. His comment was hurtful, but he probably didn't intend it to be hurtful. He worries about you, and this comes out in his comments. When I was a teen, I didn't have a weight problem. My mom used to tell me that I didn't eat enough to keep a bird alive. She stopped saying that when I gained weight. When I started losing weight, she was supportive. She comments about how good I look. Now, though, when I eat in front of her she starts talking about that bird again. She's worried. My mom has her own food issues. She likes to show her love with food. She likes to cook for family and prefers to pile your plate to overflowing and feed you whenever she can. I have to be careful how I turn down her food offers so that she doesn't feel like I'm turning her and her love down. It's not always an easy tightrope to walk.

MeginNOLA, I am so excited for you! I love seeing the posts that announce Onderland. Great job!

I've tried Zumba for Kinect, and I love it. I've also done the Zumba classes in real life. I found the game was actually easier after I took a few classes. It is not easy right out of the box, and I'm not sure how it would work for Wii. I know I get frustrated trying to sign in using Kinect sometimes. I highly recommend dance games. They are fun and have a lot of variety. I like the boxing in WiiFit as well as the step dancing. I had the same problem keeping the leg remote on with my EA fitness. I should try it again now that my thighs are smaller. Do you subscribe to Netflix? I've tried workout videos streaming through Netflix. It lets me have more variety. I've also bought several through ebay and when on sale. There were a lot of sales on workout stuff this month. Good luck!

I'm 5'7.5", and my goal weight is 140. I'm thinking that might be too low for me. I was 145 in high school, and I know that was pretty skinny then. Frankly, I am going to be happy with anything under 175 and thrilled with anything under 150. At this point, every extra pound lost is just whipped cream topping on an already yummy dessert.

Buy some smaller clothes. It will help you see the weight loss. If money is an issue, buy a couple of things from Goodwill or another second hand store. You aren't drinking enough Water if 16 ounces is correct. It depends on how much your Protein shakes are -- you should be drinking about 64 ounces of water a day. I know I got tired of the flavors vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. If you shop online for food, you can find a larger variety that still gives you a lot of protein. I bought some things from BariatricChoice.com. Check with your nutritionist for other ways to add variety to your diet. There is also a forum for recipes and post-op diets on this site. Just scroll down more.

How great! I was sleeved a day later than you, and I just reached this goal today, which is also a day later than you. Woo hoo! I was looking at our stats, and I must be about 3 or so inches taller than you. My Wii Fit was telling me that I was just overweight for a while now, but I don't think it is as accurate. I never know how much to tell it my clothes weigh, so I always say 4 pounds. I've always done this. It's consistent but not accurate.

It was a very weird feeling. It was like the roller coaster times 10. You can suddenly feel everywhere the tube is inside your body as it is pulled out. It is very weird feeling, but it isn't painful at all. It also is very quick.

I stayed two nights in the hospital. My doctor requires this, but I was glad too since I lived more than an hour away. If there would have been complications, it would have been a problem to get back. I was very ready to get home.

PeaceQueen, I'm so sorry to hear about your leak. I wish you the best as you recover. You've got this!

My husband weighed this morning and saw the highest number he had ever seen on the scale. He is overweight but not obese, but I am glad to get your reminder. I don't want him to eat my extras and be where I was at. I am hoping my husband gets frustrated enough to start exercising more soon. I don't want to discourage him, so I try to avoid the issue. He knows/says he needs to lose weight, but he hasn't been motivated enough to do anything. Talking about it is the first step though.

I teach at a university, so my work issues were/are very similar to you. I have an office, but I teach in different buildings. I have an hour commute, and I do have access to kitchens as well. I make myself a Protein shake in the morning that is pretty high in protein (plus 30 grams), so it takes me a LONG time to drink it. I add ice when I make it, and it usually serves me for about two hours. I bought myself a blender where the container that you mix it in becomes a cup. I also bought an extra cup for it. You can see it here: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Oster-MyBlend-20-oz.-Personal-Blender/15777393 It doesn't take much time to make a Protein Shake. I use a premixed Protein Drink, add some Protein powder, flavor, milk and ice. You could make up a protein shake the night before and keep it in a thermos. You can pour it into a portable cup and no one needs to know you are drinking your lunch. I like the Protein shakes because most are shelf-stable. I keep some in my office, and I put them in fridges as I need them. I try to keep one in the two fridges that I use regularly. I also like the packets. I get bariwise fruit drink mixes. One packet is 15 grams of protein. I can carry the packet and a shaker (blender) cup in my bag. When I am ready, I just add the Water, and I have a fulfilling drink that is 15 grams of protein as well. Eating real food during my lunch didn't work for me. I usually have an hour, and it can take me a full hour to eat real food. It didn't leave me time to walk across campus let alone brush my teeth (I have braces too). I've found that liquid alternatives work best during the work day. My only exceptions are cheeses. I keep mozzarella sticks and Babybel cheeses in the fridge as well. If I have to eat in front of someone (like during a meeting), I tend to bring yogurt. You could mention that you already ate or have a late lunch planned later, so you are just snacking at that time. Yogurt gives me something to eat without raising too many questions. My energy level wasn't bad during my work day. I went back to work after 3 weeks. I didn't notice any fatigue until around 4 p.m., so most of my fatigue was noticed by my family not my co-workers. Good luck!

I had one stitch externally to hold my drain tube in place for a week. After it was removed, I didn't have any stitches. I am healing nicely.

I had the struggles that Indymom mentioned especially in the first couple of weeks, but I haven't had any complications since surgery. It has been about 5 months for me. I haven't had any nausea or vomiting.

I use a stability ball and do abdominal and oblique (sp?) crunches while sitting on the ball. I find it easier than doing regular crunches, and I still get all of the benefits. I'm 40, and I definitely have loose skin in my belly area. Still, I know my belly area looks a heck of a lot better than it did just a few months ago.