MegInNOLA

I have a margarita maybe once a week--you're right, it definitely DOES kick in a lot faster/harder than before surgery. It's also easier to snack while drinking, so move the chips AWAY from you if you're at a restaurant.

I'm the oddball of the group, then, since lettuce and raw greens (which I LOVE) do not sit well in my sleeve. Tomato is great! I would say eat the healthy foods your sleeve can tolerate. If you're following the protein first rule and have some room for a bite or two of salad, fab! Enjoy!

Hey Lash, Yeah, WLS isn't something that most people, even people who could benefit the most from it, are willing to think about. The known is less scary than the unknown. When I was still at the hospital, just after having had the surgery, I was in a semi-private room with a lady who truly was huge. We got to talking on the second day (when I was a little more "with it") about our surgical procedures. When she found out I had just gotten the sleeve, she proceeded to tell me how she could "never do that" because food was such an important part of their family gatherings. She said that she just didn't know how her husband would react if they stopped doing the things they were used to, like tailgating and crawfish boils, etc. She said that she had tried dieting but was pretty much convinced she was never going to lose weight and just didn't know what to do. !!! I think it's just that people get into a mindset about how much hassle it would be to change, how other people will view the change, etc., and they can't imagine how great it could possibly be--it's lack of education and lack of imagination, too. And it's south Louisiana....are we still the fattest state in the union, or did my surgery bump us up to #49 above Mississippi? LOL (No offense to my friends in MS--you know I'm speaking truth!)

INTJ here, too--this is more INTJ's in one spot than almost any other I've seen! LOL We're supposed to be only 5% of the population! Kris, maybe this is something to consider, since INTJ's are the "contingency planners" of the world.

WOW. What a motivational post! Congratulations on achieving your goals--I know you'll be blasting out the remaining few pounds before your surgiversary, if that's what you want--you clearly have the discipline and the drive to do whatever you feel like doing! Way to go!!

Oh, sweetie, hang in there!! We've ALL been there, one way or another. Your body is freaking out because of the new reality it finds itself in. You know for a fact that nothing you're doing is causing weight gain--your body is probably retaining fluids, and those will flush out eventually, too. Just keep doing what you can do and stay hydrated. I know when you're eating so little, you feel like the weight should just be dropping off visibly--and there will probably be weeks when it does! Just keep doing what you're doing. Sounds like your 3-week stall just happened a little bit later than some.

If you skim this board, you will find a lot of folks who have lost a lot of weight (down to a healthy BMI) with the sleeve. It's a tool--how you use it makes a difference. That being said, it's a tool that does seem really helpful!! I'm down 88 pounds (maybe more--haven't weighed this week) in 5-1/2 months and have 24 pounds to go to a "normal" BMI. And believe me, I haven't been killing myself at the gym. The sleeve helps me control my portion sizes and the types of food I select, and that is working for good weight loss. Good luck on your journey!

Is it possible that you're in a stall? (ducking now) I think they can happen all over the weight loss schedule--and if your hormones are already zipping about, perhaps your body has sort of decided to stabilize for a bit? You know logically that you aren't doing anything that would cause you to gain or not to lose, so the not losing isn't food- or exercise-related. It's probably hormonal. Have you had your thyroid checked lately? Hang in there!

I could never tolerate the Protein drinks/shakes, so I've been using food sources almost from the beginning. I follow the "protein first" rule, but sometimes I don't meet my protein requirements. I just try again the next day. I have gotten pretty good at "enriching" stuff with extra protein (add milk powder to coffee drinks, add cheese to stuff, sneak a teaspoon of reduced-fat Peanut Butter, etc.). Beans and peas are my new saving grace--my sleeve tolerates them beautifully, and there's a bunch of very useful protein in a half-cup of beans/peas (which I eat over a couple of small "meal/snacks"). I even sneak white beans into my smoothies--no icky protein or "beany" taste, just creamy texture and added protein and Fiber (also a good thing!). I switched to eating crackers made of lentils and "chips" made of pinto beans--my sleeve tolerates these well, and they have some protein and a nice crispy texture that sleevie likes. It's protein x4 when I dip a chip made of pinto beans (called "Beanitos) into refried beans with melted cheese and a smidge of Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. And tasty!!! So yeah, I know what you mean, it's hard to get it all in with food, since our capacity is so limited. If you can do the shakes, great! Gradually, see how you do with food sources and you may be able to cut back on the shakes if you want. Some people drink them all the time as a convenience/easily tolerated protein source. I would if I could. :-)

YAY! Congratulations to you--awesome work!!

Alexis, you look fantastic! I, too, love the boots--I'm looking forward to wearing mine when it gets cool enough outside (we're in the 80s still--dang it!). Congratulations on your great achievement!!

Congratulations on your success so far! I'm just sure you're going to meet your goals. :-)

Congratulations! I've still got a ways to go before I join you there, but stories like yours keep me motivated! Way to go!!

Being short isn't it--because I'm tall, and it took around 35 pounds of weight loss for anyone to notice! :-) There seem to be times where it just becomes more noticeable. For me, those were around 35, 60, and 85 pounds--people just commented more at those points than at other times. Those comments will be pouring on, don't worry. I know, it seems like you're doing a lot of hard work and getting some good results, and you want others to notice and appreciate it! They will. For now, you enjoy it--it's like wearing beautiful lingerie that only you know you have on.

It took what seemed like forever for my sleeve to tolerate even the softest of mushy foods! Just take your time with it--no need to rush into the next stage of eating unless your body is really ready for it. We all heal at such individualized rates. At 2 weeks out, focus on hydration and getting your Protein (probably through liquids, like protein shakes), and enjoy a bite or two of whatever mushy you're allowed. Seriously, I'm 5-1/2 months out now, and my sleeve is still letting me know that certain foods (roast beef, grilled fish, hard-boiled egg) aren't going to work. But that's okay, because there's a lot of food that DOES work. You'll find the ones that work for you, and in time, you'll be able to eat a good variety. Best of all, for me, I'll actually be around to enjoy it, whereas before my sleeve, I'm pretty sure I would have been heading for an early departure. Hang in there, and take it slow! It's not a race, and there's no need to really push yourself forward. If you're getting fluids and protein, the rest is--well, gravy. LOL

Cute, cute, cute! We have a ways to go until "fall" really kicks in around here. Today, frustratingly, we're hot again (not a surprise). Ah, well. I have boots, too, but will just have to wait on them a little longer. :-) You look great--enjoy wearing your fun outfits!!

Are you a vegan, or do you eat dairy or eggs? I was a vegan for a few years in an earlier stage of life, too--and post-surgery, I find I'm tolerating vegetable and dairy Protein MUCH more easily than meat or even seafood. I joked with my husband yesterday that I was on my way back to vegetarianism, but not on purpose--it's just how I eat now and what feels good to my body. Protein can be tricky. Beans are a wonderful source of protein for vegetarians--you can sneak them into all sorts of foods. I even made a smoothie with beans in there--almond milk, about a half cup of white beans (rinsed very thoroughly), cocoa powder, ice--and it came out creamy and yummy with extra protein from the beans. You can't taste them in there, either, so it's a win-win. Adding some Peanut Butter or peanut butter powder (I have some of the PB2 dehydrated peanut butter stuff--all the flavor and protein minus the fat!) would probably be yummy too--will have to try that. Getting enough daily protein is still a challenge for me, but I'm working on it every day. Protein Bars are a good thing--if you eat dairy, the whey protein products might be a good option, and if you eat eggs, there are egg-protein powders (I just saw a Jay Robb mix in Whole Foods yesterday) that might work for you. I didn't have clears, either, just liquids post-surgery, and I was slurping yogurt like a crazy woman (all 1 teaspoon of it at a time, LOL). You might look into those Isopure drinks, although for me they were not a good fit--I think others on this forum relied heavily on them during their postop clear phase. Edited to add that vegetarian Soups can be protein-amped by the addition of some Greek yogurt stirred in, or dried milk powder, again, if you do consume dairy. You can also zap some tomato Soup in the blender with a combination of Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, get it to a smooth consistency, and heat that gently--it's good without the meat broth.

Congratulations! You look fantastic! Way to work that sleeve!!

It might have been fat-free, but was it also sugar-free? Sometimes high-sugar foods cause that problem for me... I hope you're feeling better now!

Yes, you can do gazpacho--just be sure to strain out any seeds/skins, as those will be tricky for your baby sleeve. Also, gazpacho isn't very high in protein, so you might consider adding a spoon or two of Greek yogurt and stirring that in. Sounds pretty tasty!

Wow! You look great! Way to rock that sleeve!!!

Hi everyone: I am so excited to finally be able to join this group! I've been "lurking" here until I officially qualified. LOL. I'm 6'2" and had a highest weight of 337 summer 2010 (BMI 42). I lost 31 pounds on my own through extremely strict diet and exercise; for my surgery, I actually had to gain a couple of pounds to reach a BMI of 40 to qualify. I was sleeved in April of 2011 and have since lost 87 pounds. Total weight loss as of right now is 118 pounds. I started in tight 26/28s and 3X/4Xs and now wear 16/18 and XL. My surgeon didn't set a goal for me, so my self-determined goal weight is 190, which is on the top end of the normal BMI scale for my height and bone structure (which is actually small--long, but small). I'm still losing at a rate of around 10-12 pounds per month and am feeling pretty good about making goal by Christmas. I have an issue that I need your support on, though, and that is exercise. I don't do it. I mean, I don't exercise at all. I'm a teacher (choral conductor), so my job is pretty physical, and I have several hours 4 days a week where I'm up on my feet, working, energetic, deep breathing, lots of upper body exercise, etc., but I don't exercise outside of teaching. Why don't I exercise? Basically, it's because I'm pretty lazy. No other reason. I don't like to get sweaty; we live in south Louisiana, and it's HOT down here. One of the great parts of losing so much weight has been that I no longer sweat while I'm teaching--yay!--and I feel better about not looking like the "sweaty fat woman." I also have exercise-induced asthma, and I really, really hate to feel out of breath. So I don't like exercise, and I use the excuse that I don't have time for it--I have an hour and a half commute every day that I teach, but there are days when I don't teach, and I definitely DO have time for exercise--really, who doesn't, if one makes it a priority..... In high school, college, and early adulthood, I was an athlete--swam, Water safety instructor, played softball, volleyball, biked, etc. As I started working, I lost the habit of daily exercise and have never gotten it back. SO, sleeve sisters and brothers, I want to be held accountable for exercise, even if all I do is get up off my butt and walk. I even own walking shoes. Summer 2010, I joined our local YMCA and was able to do an hour of exercise a day (even though I hated every single second of it--walking, weight training, Zumba--worst ever). I have exercise videos for yoga, Callanetics, and Tai Chi, all of which I have thought about in the past, but none of these videos have even been opened yet. We own a Wii, which I never play..... See, it's just something mental for me, I think. I can easily achieve my goal weight without exercise, but that's not really all I want. I want to be healthy, and I know with my head that I need to exercise and get into the habit of physically moving in order to be healthy, but for whatever reason, I have resisted that with no outward penalty--as in, I'm still losing weight, despite not moving my butt. I know I could be healthier with exercise. I am hereby setting a very public goal of getting to my doc to get my asthma medicated. I'm also determined to meet the goal of walking for 30 minutes 5 times a week. I think that is the very least I can do--and maybe just getting into the habit will get something started. I'm planning to check in here every Sunday to post whether or not I've met my exercise goal. Thanks for reading and for your support in advance!!

One of my goals (I have a line of them, LOL) was to weigh less than my husband. He was sleeved in April 2010 and lost 115 pounds pretty quickly. I was sleeved April 2011 and have lost 81 pounds as of today--5 months out from surgery (plus I had lost 31 pounds last summer). Today, for the first time in our acquaintance, I weigh less than he does--TRUE, it's only by 0.4 pound, but it's there!! I have a long way to go, and these "interim" goals are my way of keeping the process fun. Next: To meet my Halloween challenge (still have a lot to go for that one!) and then to get to -100 pounds, then on to onderland!! So very glad I have my sleeve!!!

Just checking in! SW-----CW-----GW-----Pounds to goal 229---219-----210-----------9 So far, so good! I've been stoked this last couple of weeks to be back and forth higher and lower than my husband (he was sleeved a year before me); as his weight bounces between 219 and 225, and mine has steadily crept down, I'm "this close" to achieving my goal of finally weighing less than my husband permanently--I already weigh less than him, but he's prone to up-and-down weight a lot more than I am, so I need a couple more pounds just to seal the deal. But it's happening!!! I haven't weighed in the 210's since graduate school, and I am 100% thrilled!!! Good luck everyone! Let's keep up the good work!

Congratulations, girl! Look how far you've come! And hang in there with the eating issues--I think you're making a good decision to think of it as fueling your body and its new workout requirements!