Lissa

Good luck! It's probably just a little extra swelling that will go down very quickly. Praying for you!

DS is duodenal switch. I'm not sure what's involved mechanically inside our bodies, but that's what it's called. It's the worst, from my reading, in terms of malabsorption issues with Vitamins and Proteins. It's also JUST another tool. If you want to beat it, you can beat it, just like you can defeat a lap band, a sleeve, or a gastric bypass. The DS and the GB both cause dumping issues for many patients, which I'm scared of having. My sister in law has had a GB, two revisions and a DS...and she's till over 100 pounds from goal because she defeats her tool daily. I think the OP and her hubby have done a tremendous job of working their sleeves! Their calorie intake is a little high, IMO, but it can and does happen to many sleevers. I'd recommend cutting back the calories, or at least making sure they raise their Protein intake, and then adding in (more?) exercise to help them get to their goals. I'm only 9 months out, though, so my advice may be out of line for their personal situations. Good luck! The first step to dealing with a problem is admitting that there is a problem.

Walking, weights, one of those little pedal machines, all will help you to get started. Every little bit you do will add to your muscle volume, which increases your metabolism and will help you lose weight faster. good luck!!

BTW, will they refuse to perform the surgery if you don't purchase their brand? I'd ask.

I agree that it sounds like a racket! You shouldn't have to buy their preferred brand for any reason. Perhaps they're getting a kickback or a great profit from those products, but it's not right for a surgeon to require one brand. You may hate that brand of drink or food and be stuck with all of the extra.

I like the yoga pants with the fold down top and a t-shirt made from wicking fabric. The fold down part of the yoga pants means that I can wear them longer size-wise... just fold the top part down a little further as you lose weight to keep them from falling off. The shirt made from wicking fabric helps keep you from looking like you've been in a wet t-shirt contest after a good workout! I got most of mine at walmart and they are relatively cheap, about $14 for the pants and $5 to $7 for the shirts.

Patrick, the lovenol (lovenox?) shots arent' that bad. The worst part is figuring out how to give them to yourself the first time and the bruising they leave. Since I wasn't showing my abdomen to anyone, I didn't really worry about that too much. I had to go online and watch a video on the lovenox website to figure out how to open the syringe and give one to myself. If I'd realized that would be so difficult, I'd have asked the nurse at the hospital to show me before I went home. Do you already have clotting issues or are the shots from an abundance of caution?

I just watched it. Go girl!!!

It's true. Our heads really do influence our perceptions of even positive things! I did some paperwork for a stripper recently and we started talking about her job. I've posted before that I actually went to a strip club with friends and that I would love to look like those girls do when I get to goal. Anyway, the stripper told me that I should come audition at her club and I was shocked. I'm nowhere near my goal weight and I'd never take my clothes off in public. Her advice to me was that I should really do the audition because they have clientele that wants to see girls who are bigger... she even gave me some advice on dealing with areas that I think are flaws, like my abdomen! Afterwards, I was stunned that I had to keep reminding myself that the conversation was intended by her to be flattering to me, because my brain kept concentrating on the negatives rather than the positive that this professional stripper was giving me. Unless I get really desperate or my business tanks, I don't think anyone will see me headlining at the local strip club, but it is nice to know I have career options!

So, I did 35 minutes on the elliptical this morning!! A month ago I couldn't do 3 minutes without feeling like I was going to die! Go Me!!! I've been working my way up to this, 5 minutes to start, then adding 30 seconds a day. Today I decided to push it and I was amazed by the results!!

Here's my Gold Star for Today!! I remember reading about the exercise levels you and some others have managed to achieve and thinking there was NO way I would ever get there. Now I'm getting there and it's all because of the encouragment I get here on VST!!! Thanks, PDXMan!!

Patrick, I couldn't walk from my front door to my car when I started this journey, literally! You keep working on it and you'll get to where you want to be!! Yeah, it does feel great! I let MFP figure the calories for me. My gym's ellipticals don't have a calorie count on them. I'm only up to a 5 on the resistance and I'm at around 3.5 mph, but I'm working it! It sounds like you're working it, too!! I worry more about what my heart rate is than my speed or resistance, though. I'm in pretty good cardio health, so I'm aiming for 150 heart rate when I do cardio. If I go any higher, I'm ready to pass out. It's now taking me longer and more resistance to get to that heart rate!

Great for you!! Keep rocking that sleeve! 34 pounds is fantastic!

Hubby gets kudos for giving you great positive reinforcement!! You get kudos for rocking that sleeve!

Rhi, Do you use a calendar application? If so, make a standing appointment with yourself for the gym and put it on your phone. Make it unbreakable. I literally started out with tiny little baby steps. 10 minutes on the bike or treadmill, 10 reps with 2 pound weights for arm exercises...that took 10 minutes. As my stamina grew, I added a little more time or a few more reps. I've taken monthly pictures of myself, sometimes more, just so that I can see my journey as I look back through those pictures. Sometimes I can see the changes, sometimes I can't. But, I can feel the changes in me. I have more stamina, TONS more stamina. I can bend and flex in ways that I could not imagine doing before surgery. I feel so much better and I've finally gotten to where I get the endorphin high regularly. I credit all of that to exercise. My sleeve gave me the push and motivation I needed, but now it is a self-fulfilling circle. I work out more, so I feel better and lose weight. As I feel better and lose weight, I want to work out more. I wish I could be there to say "Get up! Hit the Gym!!" But, maybe putting the appointment on your calendar will motivate you to Just Do It. I know I'm stealing Nike's line, but it's the best way I've ever seen it said. This is for you...and you're definitely worth it!

I'm not sure what you mean by stomach pain. My thigh muscles were sore because I kept trying to use them instead of my tummy muscles when I walked and/or stood up. My sleeved stomach didn't give me pain, maybe a little achiness. However, I had two previous c-sections, so the sleeve was nothing compared to those. If you're hurting, USE YOUR PAIN MEDS! Sip slowly, walk a lot and those two things will help you more than anything else.

Alice, Stay strong on this one. Do NOT push your sleeve to handle more than your doctor allows right now. You do not want a leak. Work on getting in your fluids. They are more important than Protein this early post-op, but my doctor had me counting my shakes/soups as part of my liquid intake until I was back on mushy foods. If you must chew, chew on ice or a SF popsicle (if it's allowed by your doc). You obviously know that it's head hunger since you're full. Just hang on. This stage will be over soon and you'll look back with pride that you made it through. Good luck! I know you can do it!!

Good luck, Amy!!

FavoredOne, You motivate others here on VST every day by sharing the ups and downs of your journey! Keep rocking that sleeve!

Yay!! Welcome to the loser's bench!! It's official!

I love my Planet Fitness!!

It's as simple and as hard as Just Do It. get up and go that first time, then the second time. It will soon become such a normal part of your routine that you won't question it. It will just BE something you do daily. I feel badly if I miss a workout now. That was so not me before surgery!

Low weights, high reps. Seriously, I started with 2 pound weights and 10 reps apiece. That's all I could do. Now I do weights at the gym 3 days a week... and I'm seeing toning and definition.

Rhi, I definitely think that exercise has been a key for me... and even that hasn't been a magic bullet. But, knowing that I'm doing everything possible to give myself the optimal chance for success has been a key for me, at least in my head!

I live alone, too. I have tons to occupy my time if I'm bored. I sew, read, hit the gym, enjoy the community hot tub and pool, take a walk, play with my puppy, etc. Ask your doctor for a prescription for an acid reducer. Especially early post-op, an acid reducer can eliminate the hungry feeling, which is really just excess acid produced by the stomach. You might even consider talking to a therapist a few times to get past your food issues. We all have them and we all have to deal with them. Good luck!