MegInNOLA

I talked with my husband about this very topic after I posted earlier, and he says he personally would prefer no scars... I haven't done any research at all about the various procedures (I'm talking here about either a lift or an augmentation), so I don't know what the scar profile is for any of them--does that factor into anyone's decision? I'm getting less and less happy with the shape and texture of the girls, and I know they're going to keep getting saggy and wrinkly as I continue to lose weight. I look great with my bra on, and my husband says he's fine with them no matter what shape or size they are, but he doesn't want scars. So I guess I need to do some investigating and see what's available. I'm still not planning for a procedure, but there's no harm in checking things out and being informed.

Well, I'm one who had serious buyer's remorse and now is really happy that I did it. I had no comorbidities other than being a little more than 100 pounds overweight. I had the surgery to prevent future issues, as I have a family history of heart disease and diabetes, and I had tried numerous times to lose the weight on my own without long-term success. I had the surgery and had no surgical complications. I woke up from anesthesia really angry at myself for getting to the point that I had to cut out a piece of my body in order to lose weight---SERIOUS buyer's remorse, I'm not kidding. As i recovered, it became clear that I did and do have a very small and very picky sleeve that tolerates only a limited repertoire of food and a VERY small amount of it at one time. Okay, that wasn't what I signed on for initially, but it was my new reality, and I have learned to not only "live with it" but to use it to my advantage. Every bad thing that happened--throwing up routinely, being severely dehydrated, feeling like an absolute failure in every way--every bad thing has turned around with time and persistence. As the weight has come off, I cannot tell you how absolutely happy I am about it. I don't feel very different physically, unlike a lot of folks, but I feel 100% better about myself and am so much happier. Plus, I'm really glad that my weight won't be the thing that takes me away from my sweet husband before it's time--I know I'm going to die at some point, but I honestly don't think about it on a daily basis any more (I used to worry about things like having a heart attack or stroke and being unable to physically recover because of my weight). So yeah, I had a tough recovery, but it's okay. It got okay about 8 weeks out--those first couple of months were not pleasant. I should tell you that my husband was sleeved a year ahead of me and had absolutely no complications AT ALL and was able to eat, drink, and go about his business with virtually no down time after surgery. Not me! But that's okay--it's working out just fine all around. It's different from before, but that's also okay--what I was doing before wasn't really helping me be healthy or look better, and what I'm doing now is, so I'm cool with it. No, I can't eat very much. Yes, I'm satisfied--I get to enjoy my food, but my food doesn't run my life any more. It's good for you to think about the possible down sides. It's good to try to imagine what it will be like. But you can't really know until you do it if it's going to be something you regret--and even if you do regret it at first (I think a lot of people have buyer's remorse!), you probably won't later. I know I definitely do not regret it at all, and I couldn't say that right away after surgery. Best wishes! Meg

I had watermelon as soon as I was allowed soft foods. Be sure to start with a small amount (in the beginning I could only eat a tiny bite!), chew it well, and enjoy--mind the seeds! You really don't want an accidental watermelon seed in your healing sleeve.

UPDATE SW------CW--------GOAL---------Pounds to goal 229----227----------210-----------------17 I'm a day early with this update, but that's okay. I need to be on a 3-pounds-per-week trajectory to meet my goal, and I think I can do that! It's a lot easier to lose when I'm in school teaching--when I'm working, I'm up, moving around, walking around campus, etc. Need to keep up with my Water, so that's my mini-goal this week. Good luck everyone!!

Way to go, Coops! I'm looking forward to your "goal post," which I am sure will be coming soon. You are doing all the right things and are living proof that if you work your sleeve, it will work for you--in your body's own time. Good on you for sticking with!!

Congratulations! I think it's great to keep track of all the victories, large, small, in between--and dropping sizes is a fab feel-good victory!

Yay! What a great feeling that must have been. Keep up the good work!

Congratulations, Alexis! You look beautiful--looks like y'all had a wonderful time.

WOW! Look how fabulous you look!! Congratulations, and thanks so much for posting--I know you're thrilled. Great work!!

I've gone from a 48H to a 40FF and I think things are smaller now (I got the 40FF's in July). They look radically different--they are a different shape, lots of loose skin (odd wrinkles close to the body), and they don't point forward any more!! So I feel everyone's pain!!! Happily, they now look great in clothes, and I'm still happy to have what I have--I'm 6'2" and seems like I'm going to be fairly thin when I get done losing, but I really wanted to hang onto the girls (and my husband would like that, too!), at least somewhat. I guess we're all going to have to wait and see! I'm not planning to have augmentation when I'm done, since I've spent my entire adult life with big ol's, but if I don't like the shape, I might just think more seriously about it.

I can't eat a lot of meat/fish Protein comfortably, either. Try chili or a blended Soup (chicken meat in chicken broth with some seasonings) and see if that goes down more easily. I eat a lot of dairy protein--cottage cheese, regular cheese, Greek yogurt--maybe try softer dairy? Boiled shrimp works comfortably for me, as does broiled/grilled fish (thicker instead of thin and dry) or baked fish (soft and moist). I will also say that I can't eat much of the protein food at one time without feeling horribly full and uncomfortable; I can eat almost twice as much yogurt as roasted chicken, for instance. Can you tolerate the Protein Bars? They might make a difference for you; they have for me.

Clothes, definitely! I'd been a tight size 26/28 for so long, and I'd been living with Lane Bryant and Silhouette's--now I love Chico's, Coldwater Creek, Old Navy (who knew just getting T-shirts that fit would be so much fun?), etc. etc. etc. I'm trying to think ahead and not purchase too much stuff at once, because I'm pretty sure it's going to be too small in a couple of months, but wow, yeah, clothes. I can always sell my gently used ones on Ebay! Right before I had surgery, my husband helped me set up a vanity table in our bedroom where I could sit in the mornings and do my makeup. You have to understand, I was just throwing stuff on in 5 minutes--"getting by" with the bare minimum. Around the same time I made the decision to have the surgery, I also made the decision to start looking more professional for my job. I discovered Bare Escentuals and am now hooked! My husband teases me about becoming a "girly girl," but I think I always was--I just didn't feel like messing with it before, when the overall end product would still be me, really FAT. I say reward yourself in whatever way feels right for you! We have danged well earned it, and it's your money and your time. Spend them as you like.

You look beautiful! Congratulations!

I'm a teacher, and I had my surgery last April at the end of our semester. The incoming freshmen still look really confused when one of my prior students says something complimentary to me--because they don't know me at 300+ pounds (thank goodness!). I'm with you, though--I would be celebrating up a storm if someone asked me that!!

You don't mention if you're taking an acid reducer. If you're not, sometimes excess acid can "feel" like hunger pains. I know when I'm taking my Prilosec, I don't feel that "growly" sensation that I used to think was hunger--since it's not happening when I take my Prilosec, it's clearly acid related, right? I agree with the folks above that planning is going to help you achieve your goals. If you're like me, sometimes you don't know what you're going to feel like eating--so make plans to have a bit of variety and some options but still be within your goals. For instance, you might keep on hand a can of chili, maybe some Soup, some cottage cheese, and some yogurt. Then when you are ready to eat, you can choose from a few appropriate foods. The Protein will help keep you full longer. I eat fruit every day, too, but I find I can't actually eat it with a protein food--the protein needs all the room/working of my stomach to get digested, I guess, so it doesn't like to share with other foods. :-) So I typically will eat my fruit (a cup of citrus or melon total per day) divided into a couple of snack-size portions that I munch on while watching television or playing on the computer. That way, when it's time for a "meal," I eat protein first (and usually only, as I say) but I still get my fruit in, and the protein keeps me from being achingly hungry even while consuming so few calories per day. So if you're not taking an acid reducer, you might talk with your doc about maybe starting one, and also see if moving your fruit to times in between protein meals helps with the hunger issue. Tiff is right, above--fruit is a nutrient-dense food, but it does not have the staying power of protein, and the natural sugar can be problematic for people who are sensitive to even small amounts of sugar. Good luck to you!!

I also consider my husband's suggestions seriously. He was pushing for me to have the sleeve, not for my looks but for my long-term health. He also had the good sense to back off when I asked him to, although I know that was super hard for him! After I had researched and it looked like I was going to see my doctor about the surgery, I told him about it, and he was so thrilled and supportive! He's my best friend and supporter, and that's also why I decided to have the surgery--I want to be around for as long as possible to spend my life with him.

You know what it was? My husband never tried to lose weight before he had the surgery, I mean not seriously. He had a remarkable recovery and no problems whatsoever eating whatever he wanted, just in smaller quantities. It seemed to me at the time that he had just taken "the easy way out" and I needed to do it "the natural way," aka, "I got myself into this position, I don't really deserve to have it fixed so quickly, therefore I can't do surgery because it's not going to punish me enough" way. It wasn't that I wasn't listening to him. It was that I somehow felt the need to punish myself for getting so fat to begin with. Once I talked with my colleague and realized that the sleeve was just a tool, not a magic cure, I began wondering why I had automatically excluded this tool from my consideration, and that's when my mindset shifted. And getting the right mindset was key to everything.

I tried and failed AGAIN to lose the excess weight last summer. I was sick and tired of being so flipping FAT. I had no current comorbidities; however, I had a family history of hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes, and my numbers were gradually creeping up into "high normal." My husband had just been sleeved and was dropping weight like crazy. However, I had determined I was not going to have surgery--surgery was "his" way, and I wanted to lose weight "my way" (under the delusion that surgery was "the easy way out"). Of course, this lasted for 3 months or so and then I was back to the usual and still gaining. In October, I ran into a colleague at a professional conference who had been sleeved and looked fantastic. I talked with her extensively about her experience with sleeve surgery and began researching and thinking about it seriously. When I finally decided it was the best (and maybe my only) option to lose the weight once and for all, things moved pretty quickly. I actually had to gain a couple of pounds to hit the target BMI for insurance approval, but that wasn't difficult. Everyone was seriously supportive, from my husband and my family to my physician to my colleagues at work. And the rest is history.

The first time my DH and I went to our favorite seafood restaurant, I ate 2 boiled shrimp with remoulade sauce and was completely stuffed! With 2 shrimp!!! It was delightful to have shrimp left for several meals from just 1 appetizer portion.

Congratulations to you!

Hi Gayle: I find that I just eat the soup, honestly. There's not a lot of room for extra stuff. I do tend to eat more like "snacks" than what my meals used to look like presurgery. For instance, I just got home from work--I had 1/2 a Protein Bar while I was there, so I was hungry when I got home. I just ate 1/2 c of grapefruit segments in juice (my new obsession, seriously). In a little while (maybe an hour or so), I'll heat up some leftover soup. After that, if I'm still hungry (doubtful), I'll have a few almonds. That way of eating might not work for everyone, but it definitely is keeping me happy and satisfied. If I'm at a sit-down meal, especially at a restaurant, I usually ask for a cup of soup or chili for my entree, and then I visit with everyone while they have their appetizers, and I totally enjoy my soup when it arrives (and I still always have leftovers!). I don't eat much spicy food, but when I do, I try to have some bland food (like a corn chip if I'm eating something with hot peppers) available.

Yeah, mine started at about 4 months and is still falling strong. I take vitamins and minerals, so I'm not sure what's going on in there. But it's still SO worth it--almost 80 pounds gone, yeah, I'll trade that for some hair. I haven't had chemo and issues with it before, though, so I guess that's something you need to factor in.

I think sometimes the dieticians just don't "get it" as far as how little food and liquid we are actually able to take in comfortably. Don't panic or worry. Just do what you can do--focus on getting in as much Fluid as you can. Protein shakes are good for both fluid and protein. Gatorade is good for fluid and electrolytes. I was in the same boat as y'all fresh out of surgery and really worried about not getting in my Water or protein. But what can you do but keep trying? No worries--you will heal and be able to take in more as you go. Just do what you can at the speed your body will accept. Trust the process. You can't "mess it up," as long as you're trying to stay hydrated and trying to follow the food instructions. Don't expect to eat 350 calories at a meal for a while--just eat a few bites, if that's what you can tolerate, and eat a few more later. Hang in there! It gets better with time.

I'm like Kelly above--I don't even think too much about carbs, because I follow the "Protein first" rule, and that is sort of a self-limiting thing for me (since I STILL have a super small sleeve with high restriction at 4-1/2 months out). I eat dairy and fruit and nuts daily, and I eat a protein bar (20 g protein, 20 carbs) over the course of a day at school. I do not eat flour products other than the rare saltine to settle my stomach in the morning; my sleeve just doesn't tolerate them well. I don't eat candy or drink sugar. I should stress that I don't eat this way because I'm trying to "diet." The things I eat are things my sleeve will tolerate that I like the taste of, and that has definitely changed since surgery--thank goodness, because my sleeve doesn't like the things I used to eat before! Nuts make a great on-the-go snack--get the dry roasted kind (less fat). I find I get very full and satisfied with only 4-6 almonds--I told you my sleeve was really small! You can also find yogurt in most convenience stores, or mozzarella cheese sticks, so you don't have to drive through McDonald's ever again. I actually can't eat anything at McDonald's other than their apple/nut/yogurt snack thing, and even then, the apples are hard on my sleeve. I'd just as soon enjoy a few almonds and maybe an applesauce that I can carry in the car--cheaper, too! Make yourself a "car pack" with a bottle of Water, a can of nuts, a couple of Protein Bars (careful if your car gets hot!), an individual applesauce or two, and a few plastic spoons. This way, you can stave off a hunger attack with "friendly food," and you'll have a spoon if you need to run into a grocery for a yogurt or cup of Soup or chili--lots of groceries have really tasty Soups that you can purchase "by the pound," and with a sleeve, you won't be needing a big ol' container. Chinese restaurants, too, have hot and sour soup, and there's always a small Wendy's chili--yum--all sleeve-friendly food. Good luck to you! I hate dumping syndrome, and I experience it, too.... I was silly and tried a former favorite--coffee granita, kind of a semi-frozen, slushy coffee/cream drink, VERY sweet, and it made me so sick after only a few swallows I swore I would never have another one. Kind of stinks, but not really--seriously, I'm going to trade those drinks in for smaller jeans and a longer life EVERY TIME. LET ME ALSO STRESS that a lot of people on this board have lost a lot of weight low-carbing; it's just not for me. You have to find the way that works best for your body and your lifestyle--if your goal is fast weight loss, eating with as many carbs as I do might not work for you. Do what's right for you, and follow your physician's guidelines. Cheers! Meg

Congratulations to you!! That's a fantastic NSV, and I bet it did feel fabulous!