MegInNOLA

Congratulations, Lynda!! I'm right behind you, so slide over on that Century Club bench! Way to go!!!

I had my surgery on April 18, 2011 and so far have lost 98 pounds, all post-surgery.

Thanks, Suzanne, for posting and checking in! It's great to hear from folks who are multiple years out from surgery who are doing great.

Hi Shae and Phyllis: So many similar experiences here! Shae, it was my post you quoted, and I'm both sorry for the emotion evoked and happy that it provided a new perspective for you. Childhood patterns are so ingrained that we don't even realize they're there much of the time--as adults, we sometimes don't stop to think about something in a new way or with fresh eyes. I, too, grew up thinking about food in a "now or never" way, until I realized a couple of years ago that as an adult, I can basically have whatever I want, whenever I want. As a fat person, that wasn't necessarily a good thing, but post-sleeve, that's a GREAT feeling--I can have what I need when I need it, and I won't have to do without, so I don't need to stuff it in now. There's a tie in there between physical satisfaction and emotional satisfaction--one can't give you the other, but we try to use food as a placebo. Phyllis, me, too, and that's a big part of why/how I became fat in the first place. I felt safe and protected in my fat suit. It kept me physically isolated and emotionally isolated (and therefore safe). The emotional healing, for me, came before I started even considering the sleeve. I saw a counselor for help in getting through, getting past, and moving forward after YEARS of trying to not think about it, and it made a world of difference in my outlook on life and in my wanting to be healthy and strong, and in my wanting to be able to trust fully and have a great relationship with my husband--he's a great guy, and I knew I needed to do some work so that I could be truly, honestly available for that relationship. As I worked and healed the inside, my outside did not match (I didn't need my fat suit any more!), and that's when I started the process of researching the sleeve. There's a lot of emotional/physical hunger confusion; it's not hard to understand why--but when you start thinking of them as separate, somehow things get much more clear. Hugs, ladies, and best wishes in your sleeve journey! I know that getting the sleeve has been both a culmination of getting rid of the past hurts and the beginning of a healthier, happier future for me.

I could only eat a few bites of food--I still have a very small capacity and can only eat around 1/2 c to 2/3 c of food at a time by volume (depending on the density of the food). I envy folks who can eat "small meals," but I am still not one of those! All you can do is what your sleeve allows you to do--focus on getting your Protein and fluids in and let your sleeve heal at its own pace. I'm actually pretty grateful now that I can't really eat much. For a while, I felt frustrated, because it seemed that as soon as I started eating, I was full and had to stop. Now I realize that it's a strange sort of gift--yes, I can't eat much, but YES, I can't eat much!! I definitely enjoy food; I thought I would miss it a lot more. Since I get full, it's just like getting full pre-sleeve; I don't miss food after I get full, even though it tastes good and sometimes I would like more tastes of it. I have learned to just chill out and focus on enjoying high-quality foods to the max--savoring instead of scarfing. :-) You're definitely not alone with a small-capacity sleeve! Use it to best advantage and you'll have great results.

Yep, welcome to slimehood. This reply might be a bit graphic, so if you are easily nauseated, proceed with caution! When you eat something that requires a little extra work to digest, your body produces extra secretions that, pre-sleeve, you swallowed without even knowing it--extra saliva, extra mucus to help the food slide down, extra "stuff" that your body uses to digest the food. Now, the volume of your stomach is much smaller and can't always hold both food and secretions--and sometimes that causes a very, very unpleasant situation of either feeling painfully full for half an hour or so to being ill with bubbles of mucus being the first thing to appear. The first time that happened to me I was really surprised! And it was after eating eggs, which I still cannot tolerate in any form (and I have tried, because I LOVE them and used to eat them almost daily). Your body may adjust over time with small exposures; mine hasn't, and I've just sort of given up on eating eggs--small trade-off for the rest of my life, I will say, but I do miss them. Hope you don't have too many more experiences with the slimes. They are not fun--no permanent problem, of course, but at the time, it's not very pleasant!

I think the "full" feeling registers differently with different people. It's important to eat slowly to give your body time to send the "I'm full" signal to your brain. If you eat too quickly, you can easily take in one or two bites of food over your stomach's limit, and that will either hurt like crazy (because in addition to that extra food, your stomach is going to push in some digestive juice and extra saliva to process the food), or you'll be sick and empty it the unpleasant way. I think most experienced sleevers tend to undereat their sleeve--that is, we've learned through trial and error that we need to eat slowly, pay attention to our bodies, and when we sense that we are no longer hungry (NOT "we're full," since that's something different), we stop eating. That's the biggest change, I think--you eat until you're not feeling physically hungry, not until you're physically full. Another really good way to gauge how much to eat at first is to measure, not by weight, but by volume. For instance, I can typically eat half a 6-ounce container of yogurt, 2/3 c. of brothy Soup, or 3 good-sized boiled shrimp. I know what those things look like, size- and volume-wise. I use that as a mental guide when I'm faced with food of similar consistency. I can eat approximately 2/3 c. of lentil soup at a restaurant, for instance, but less of chili (more dense Protein per serving). This really helps me be mindful and stop eating before I overeat. Also, honestly, a few times of overeating because of mindless eating really does teach you the hard way that it's not a good idea. I had problems in the first few months with excess acid, and between that and some thoughtless eating, I was sick a LOT--especially problematic at a business conference where I was talking during lunch instead of paying attention to how much I was eating. NOT good. After a few times, you will begin to pay attention, and after a while, it becomes second nature. I'm pretty aware of how much I can and cannot eat now and simply stop--there will be more food available later if I need it. Good luck--your sleeve is a great tool; be sure you're eating slowly and thoughtfully and allowing it to help you!

Oh yeah. I hate them, hate them, hate them. Nothing like being not able to concentrate because you feel like you're going to blow up from the heat inside! YUCK! And then when it passes (finally!), you feel like a limp dishcloth. NOT pleasant. Something that sort of helps me is to put an ice cube in my mouth. I don't know if it's just mental or if there is some physical benefit, but if I can put some ice in my mouth, it really seems to make the flash pass faster. I don't know if you can keep an icy drink on your desk while you're at school, but if so, it might be worth experimenting.

I always order a cup of soup for my entree, typically something like lentil soup or chili--something with some protein. I still can only rarely finish the cup of soup, but I don't feel so bad about leaving it if I'm traveling and can't refrigerate the leftovers.

Kelly, I am so excited for you! Congratulations! You look amazing!!

Hi y'all: I'm in Covington, so just a bit down I-12 from both of you. How exciting that both of you are about to be sleeved! Debi, do you have a surgery date yet? I would be happy to answer any questions that I can. My husband also had the sleeve--we were both sleeved by the same surgeon at the same facility here in Covington. Let me know if I can be of any assistance, and best wishes on your upcoming sleeves!!

Congratulations! You look fantastic. I love that you surprised your DH with a LBD!! Thanks for posting!

Oh wow! Congratulations, Tiff!! She is absolutely beautiful. So glad to hear y'all are doing well.

Some of my friends have experienced good results with a product called Estroven--it's a soy-based supplement that contains phytoestrogens. Evidently it helps even out estrogen and that regulates the hot flashes. Other than that, cotton/linen clothing, avoiding caffeine, hot beverages/soup, no hot pepper, and waterproof makeup (so that it doesn't sweat off)--so sorry you're dealing with this!! It's extremely frustrating. My hot flashes went away after surgery, but in the last couple of weeks, they're back again--I awaken at 4 or 4:15 a.m. (not on purpose!) and then experience a hot flash. It goes away pretty quickly. Before being sleeved, I had them at any time, and you're right, having them at work as a teacher is really challenging in lots of respects. You might look into the supplements to see if you can find an herbal formula that helps. Hang in there!

Congratulations! 100 pounds! I'm so close to it--save me some room on the Century Club bench! You look fantastic.

Congratulations, Raine! Love the coat, and love a great shopping bargain!!

Congratulations, Chris--you look amazing!

You can use "regular" high-protein soups like chili--just zap them in the blender or bullet, maybe thin with some additional broth or milk (or sour cream!). Add a little cheese, stir until melted, and YUM!

It was cold the other night after a concert, and my husband put his coat around me--it was WAY too big for me! I used to be unable to wear his shirts/jackets/etc. and now they're really, really big. I love finally being smaller than him. :-)

Congratulations, SKC!! What a great story--and it's terrific to see you looking so trim and healthy!! I'm in almost the same boat as you--still have 4 pounds to go until -100, and then have 12 after that to get to goal. I'm aiming for a New Year's goal, too!! I'm just considering 2011 as the year of transformation, and 2012 as the beginning of my thin adulthood (which I never had before!). Thanks so much for posting!!

I know how you feel 100%! I have a very people-intensive job as a teacher/musician, and I'm actually a pretty introverted personality. I was extremely self-conscious as a teen and worried I would feel awkward when people commented on my weight loss. Okay, it is occasionally difficult to know what to say. I have a few standard replies. When someone says, "Wow! You look great!" I say, "Thanks so much! It's been an interesting process! How are you?" or "Yeah, it's getting better! How have you been?" The key to keeping it from getting awkward is the return question, I think. We just move ahead with the conversation and there's not really time for any awkwardness. Before I was sleeved, I had a long conversation with a friend/colleague who had been sleeved with excellent results. I saw this friend at a professional conference this weekend, and she was SO excited to see my progress. I also had the opportunity to pay it forward for another colleague who wanted to ask specific questions regarding the surgery--again, nothing horribly awkward, because I try to keep it from being "all about me." It's easier to handle the comments, even when they're positive, if you can say a quick "thank you" and get the conversation moving in other directions. You may also feel a bit different after you've lost some of the weight--I definitely do not feel as self-conscious as I did before--I used to feel I took up all the space in a room and was "in the way." Now I feel like I fit in, and that makes me a lot more likely to be comfortable in conversation or social situations than before. Good luck! You'll develop your own strategies, and it will all be fine.

Congratulations!! You have great motivation and a great tool to get you to your goals. Keep rocking that sleeve!

Congratulations!! How wonderful!! I hope y'all enjoy your special celebratory evening.

So yay! I met my Halloween goal 2 days early. :-) I just never know when I'm going to get a nice run of weight loss. My next weight loss goal is to get to 100 pounds down--and I'm going to do that in the next couple of weeks!!!! Next goals: 1. Get to 206 (-100 pounds from day of surgery, -137 from highest weight ever). 2. Get to ONEDERLAND! 3. Get to goal (190, which will be -116 pounds from day of surgery and -147 from highest weight ever). 4. Continue to live life and let my sleeve do whatever it's going to do. At 190, I will be 4 pounds into the top range of "normal" BMI for my height; after 190, any additional weight loss is just lagniappe (south Louisiana-speak for "a happy and unexpected bonus"). Good luck, everyone--couple of days left!!

Congratulations! I'm in sort of the same boat--my goal was a modest size 16 (down from a tight 26/28), and I just moved into 14's--and I still have around 20-25 pounds to go until I meet my goal! Plus, my weight loss hasn't really seemed to slow down that much yet, so I suspect I'm going to be much smaller than these current 14's by the time I'm done. I would be thrilled if I never lost another pound as of right now, just like you. But we're probably going to have to get used to thinking of ourselves in smaller sizes!! YAY!!!!!