CowgirlJane

You know Paul, everytime i read your stats I am astounded. going from a 70 BMI to a 27 is freaking amazing. Just amazing. Is there a good closed FB "veterans" group that keeps posts private? Most all of my friends know that i had surgery, but i don't want WLS support to spill into the rest of my FB world!!!

This is an old thread revived. I am at goal, the sleeve has been amazing. Never in my life did I imagine this success. I am not sure that it is true for everyone to get this result, but my personal experience is awesome. It was a lot of work too - the sleeve just made it possible for me to do that work! I feel like a million bucks, honestly, if I had to get the DS to get these results - I would do it. When I was considering surgery, I was so scared, but now that I am on the other side... well... the benefits are worth the risk. Pick the surgery that you can 1. live with and 2. has a good chance of success for your personal situation. I can't even begin to tell you how much better it is to weigh in the 150s then the 300+++ range. Physically, I am a different human being.

I would not wish the crapband on anyone! 10 year survivor of that torture device. Never did well, beat my self esteem to the ground, and caused pain. I am at goal - lost 150# after revision to sleeve.

So, there is a certain advantage to US to have an exclusive place to discuss the veteran specific... topics...without having to hand out lollipops to the emotionally fraught newbies (hey I was one of them, this is not a criticism, it is a fact!!). That is not how VST works, and i personally am a big fan of the Man's Room...lol... so I can't really get to excited about rule enforcement. (I am definately not a man, just like their topics) Oh, and not as many guys post in the powder room, but i swear some of you run daily searches for key words like "sex" "boobs" or whatever... and I am quite sure read them...hahaha

I finally clicked on this link...hahaha.... you are mean but it is funny p.s. I mean that it is kind of mean, but sometimes the truth hurts You know, some things you can't google and that is what I want to talk to people about. Thinks that are more factual in nature, I just don't want to spend time doing research for people either.

So, there were a handful of "vets" that I credit toward helping me. Tiffykins was the main one - I was a band to sleeve revision and was so sure I would 1. fail again and 2. have horrible life threatening complications in the process. Tiff did have bad complications but she was one who helped me "believe" that this is possible and worth the risk. I can't begin to thank her in the time she took to answer mine (and a million other scared newbies) questions in a personal way. I am not sure I would have had the courage to believe and try again without her counsel. I try to give that back, but it is exhausting and I am admittedly quite selective. I do tend to focus on the revisionistas because I am telling you, there is not a whole lot more discouraging then failing with a WLS and then steeling yourself to try again... Anyway, I keep telling myself I need to write up everything - the fears, the experiments, the ups and downs, all of it - and put it on a webpage. I think that would help alot of people, but I just can't seem to get around to it...lol... to busy living my thin life! I guess there are also a few things I don't necessarily want to share with the whole freaking world, but are important points in my journey so that is a balancing act.

Carbmaster is the only yogurt I eat I avoid Protein bars (mostly) I have lots of things like that but I learned them through the journey... one of the advantages of having massive amounts to lose (150 pounds in my case!) is that you have alot of chance to practice what works and what doesn't..lol the number one thing I learned from my failed bandster experience - don't give up, don't go hide in shame when things are going poorly... instead expect and DEMAND support from experts (nutritionalists etc) as well as from fellow WLS patients. I felt very judged when I did poorly with the band, and one thing i learned is "screw that" - I did this to save my life and I am not going to let hurt feelings or other people's views interfere!!!! I take what helps, ignore the rest and simply don't accept criticisms that make me feel bad about myself. I don't care if John Doe lost 150 in 3 months, it took me 14 months and I am quite happy with that!!! Now maintenance, that will be my journey too and while I am working to learn from others, I also accept that it is something I need to figure out what works for me; taking into account experiences from those who have gone before me. so far, I am basically doing what I was doing during the losing phase, but allowing myself a little extra from time to time. If that doesn't work, I will figure out something else - but I refuse to go hide in shame if I start having issues. Never give up.

Think of it as having the last word....

I came home from a week of restaurant eating limited excercise and instead of gaining, I actually made goal. I am beside myself with joy. I never really believed this day would come. 11/30/2011 Start of preop weighed 308 12/11/2011 Day of surgery weighed 300 2/23/2013 - 14 months later I weigh 158/size 8/fit and healthy!!!!! wooo hooooo I will have to do a post with photos later... but off to the gym. I was just so excited I had to share with my fellow vets!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are an inspiration - great job!!!

I don't count. I just avoid carb centric foods as part of my daily diet. I am not perfect, and I do go out with friends and eat stuff that is not the best sometimes, but I keep portions small. I guess that isn't very helpful and I am new to this maintenance thing so maybe i will need to start counting. I didn't count during the later part of the weight loss journey either.

I have had a million happiest post op moments. I have to say probably the most memorable was when a guy I have known for years, very conservative, very polite, professional type relationship says to me "holy ****, you are HOT!" On days when I feel low, I remember that moment and smile...lol.. I have come along way from the 300+ pound woman who hated to be seen by others. So, early on, your tummy sensations are not mature. I don't have time to type a novel about this, but bottom line, don't believe the bull that you are somehow not going to be as successful since you are a revision. The REASON for that is bandsters have learned how to cheat... lets me honest... that band trained us to go for sliders etc. If you take that lesson "how i failed at weight loss surgery without really trying" and be determined to learn from it and have a different experience this time - there is no reason you can't rock the sleeve and have awesome results. I beat the odds - started at 50+ BMI, was banded for 10 years with crappy results... and here I am now... at goal and feeling great. You too can do this and it doesn't matter if the weight comes off fast or slow... steady and smart choices wins at this race.

The last 5-10 pounds have all come from my boobs...lol. I am still wearing my 36Cs but they are stuffed with skin and empty space. I am having an augmentation and lift this spring, so I decided to keep looking like I have breasts so the shock isn't as bad when I have the implants done!

Oh and exercise makes you look and feel great. It helps you maintain too. I love working out now!!!

The number one advice is to keep portions small. Once you start eating more, you will eat more..it is like a cycle. Don't think in terms of eating to get full, eat to "not hungry". Follow the rules-protein first green veggies next don't waste room on carb junk. Drink lots but not with food. Take vitamins...The basics work!!!!

Original poster clearly did not ask for the female perspective.

That is a good one butterbean - the secret to my amazing success was that I was incredibly overweight to start with...haha.... I think i will steal that one next time somebody cries that they haven't lost 50 pounds in 2 weeks.

I really question the nutrition counsel but it is true you lose faster earlier. I am 14 months out, lost 150 and am at goal. I worked at it via healthy means... "rocking that sleeve ". I could keep losing if i wanted to ....

It is because as long as people can imagine it was YOUR fault they feel safe - couldn't possibly happen to THEM...lol

I don't get too many. I try hard to answer questions from people who I feel are genuinely knowledge seeking. I have at times felt that people are not quite open to "working the sleeve" to it's fullest - and it is their journey not mine so who am I to say? i just don't have the time or energy to debate it. I failed at the lapband. I learned a few lessons, beyond the fact that it is a crappy tool. I also learned alot about me and my readiness and desire to be a success. I picked a few really succesful people and followed their example. I worked with a GREAT NUT and learned alot - and I thought I knew alot, but I was open to the learning a better way. I am at times amazed that there aren't more people, band to sleeve revisions who need to lose 100+ who don't look to me like "how did you do that" because i posted alot in the revision forum in the past. I am the kind of person that I was looking for in the early days...lol

That is quite a story. I think we all understand how upset you must be! I spent a long time researching and facing fears; you were robbed of that. I do want to point out an upside or two though. That band had to go, and MOST people regain when that happens. So don't think of it as "not worth it for 40# " but rather as worth it to prevent a 100# regain.... I was very hungry and fought like crazy to keep from gaining in the 2.5 months between my band removal and sleeve. It is hard at first but now I love my sleeve and living with it is no problem.

Since this thread is revived I thought I should give an update now that i am at goal. First, my inner thighs have alot of excess skin so I will eventually have a thigh lift. I started using a blackhead treatment cream just once a day - morning shower. The number of blackheads has reduced incredibly. I don't have the darkening of the skin in other locations, so i am not sure if I have the condition that has been talked about on this thread.... the stretched skin making room for blackheads makes so much sense to me - that is exactly what it is like! I also have a mild case of HIDE - Hidradenitis suppurativa. Right now I have one "boil" that is deep, not oozing and just feels like a bump, no pain, sorta back of the thigh near the butt. I just leave it alone because i have been convinced that if you try to "squeeze" the stuff our of these boils it spreads the condition. Could be my imagination, but my approach is to just leave em alone, but I hate that condition. I got it after the birth of my youngest son, showed up a few weeks after. I was convinced I got it at the hospital but of course don't know. I am going to ask about the cream you mention for the blackheads. It will probably be a year before i get the thigh lift and I guess I will feel better about those thighs if this is gone. BTW, even with the really bad extra skin, my thighs look great under clothes and I don't need to wear shapewear to keep them in. That is better results then i feared....

sweetums... we all struggle. Most of the time i feel like a million bucks, I go shopping and I think EVERYTHING looks good on me now...lol. I feel good, I love it... even so, i have some of that dark side too. I am heavy on the scale but don't have much excess fat. You can see my ribs - on my back and front... I found myself admiring my bones in the mirror and thinking... I want to see more of them. I started thinking, I could lose another 15-20... easy. Then I caught myself and just said - don't be crazy... why the hell do I want to see ribs sticking out my back? For the love of God, what is wrong with me??? The plastic surgeon consults have really helped me alot. To have multiple docs tell me that at some point my health is compromised if I keep losing, throw away that damn scale and go by health and body fat NOT by how you compare to others or some height weight chart. (I think the glance from random guys is another good meter...hahaha). Anyway, my point is that we all struggle with this one way or another. It is part of the journey. Post your pain, share it, talk it out, it really helps. I talk to my friends about this stuff too - and they get it too.

I was doing pushups with no pants (dont ask...haha ) and looked down OMG..I had NO idea just how bad it is....shudder. Bring on the scars !!!!!!

Well, I have had 3 plastics consults. The scars fade alot after 1-2 years. Yes, they are still scars but they look alot better then the extra skin, in my opinion. And the excess skin looks a heck of a lot better then the fat....