fitbottomedgirl

Thanks for all your responses!! Great advice!

Hi ladies! Hope ya'll are doing great in which ever stage you are at! Now that I am post-op and 60 lbs lighter-- all of a sudden I really feel ready to date! Not like I wasn't ready before, but at the weight I was at, I was nowhere near comfortable with myself and never had a guy be interested.. sad, I know. I'm 22 yrs old and never been on a date.. my life is straight outta the movie Never Been Kissed! I just feel so much better about myself and my body now! Anyway, how have you ladies handled going out on dates (eating-wise) with your sleeve? Do you explain that you've had the surgery right off the bat.. or should I just continue saying 'I've changed my lifestyle, started seeing a nutritionist..' that I have been telling everyone else in my life? Only my immediate family know of my surgery.. do I tell a guy right when I meet him? Does it make everything easier to be up front? So many questions! If you have any tips on how to reel a guy in-- I'd appreciate those too! hahaha Thanks for your help

Congrats!! That's amazing! Keep up the awesome work

You look INCREDIBLE!! Way to goo!

When did you lose yours for good?? Mine taunts me every time I look in the mirror or catch my reflection in a window! I know I've only lost 30 lbs and I have a lot more to lose -- but I feel like its become more prominent and noticeable since I've lost weight around it..I can see some of my collar bone! I hope I don't have a double chin forever! Sry just had to rant

Hi there! I had my hernia repaired when I had my surgery just because my surgeon suggested it and I went with it. His office put it through insurance and everything was covered. No problem. Except for the after effects of trapped air from the procedure, everything went smoothly. But gramaof4 has a great idea to get the insurance company to pay for it plus tummy tuck!! I'd go for that if it works! Best of luck!

Easter At the last minute, I decided to go to Easter dinner with my family. I brought soup and Diet Snapple for me to enjoy while my family ate a lavish meal that looked delicious! It really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be to watch them all eat. I just passed on the appetizers and pasta, but took a little ham and mashed broccoli casserole. I couldn’t resist having a taste of my brother piece of cheesecake, but I think that’s what did me in at the end and I got sick. Worth it. haha It was nice to pass up on all the desserts for once because those are usually my favorite part of the meal. In the end, I’m happy I went to spend time with my family who I hadn’t seen in awhile. Week 4 It’s hard for me to want to eat breakfast in the morning. I really force myself to have a protein shake because it’s the easiest to just grab and go. It’s so weird to not have an appetite, sometimes I just think about food and I feel nauseous. Exercise Goal for the week: 45 mins of anything a day + the number of steps I take on campus everyday. Weigh in:

Week #3 It has definitely become difficult to not eat normally with people who don’t know my situation. I tend to just order soup, tea, and coffee or try to redirect plans to more active than just eating out. Easter is coming up, and I don’t think I will be able to sit and watch as my family eats wonderful foods and I’m stuck eating mush. I think I will try to do something instead. My Thursday weigh-in Only lost 1.5 lbs on my scale at home then gained it back once I went to the doctors to be weighed, so I think I am at a stall. After reading everyone’s reaction to their stalls, I think I was prepared for it and now need to figure out what I need to change (water/protein intake) to start losing weight again. I definitely need to start an exercise regime. I know I have been saying that for what seems like forever now, but I just got to set a goal and do it! After the doctors I met with my nutritionist, who I love! She so great! She’s went over everything Ive been doing these past few weeks and how I can progress into my next stage of foods. Now, everything must be thinly pureed, but I can have eggs, lean meat/fish, blended veggies! Very happy about my change in food. Today was also our monthly support group meeting, which I also love! Everyone is so supportive and friendly. I love catching up with everyone and seeing how their progress is continuing. Our nutritionist runs the meeting and the topics was carbs. Very helpful info! Weigh in: 255.5 (lost 1.5 lbs)

Week #2 Back to classes and work! I was definitely ready, physically and tried to prepare my self mentally for how to schedule my ‘mini meals’ around my normal schedule. I find packing my lunch, which consists of 4 oz of any approved foods for my first 3 weeks, the night before made my morning less hectic. Normally, I’ll have 4oz of Atkins RTD protein shake for breakfast (in a tumbler to take on the run!). I pack a mixed Greek yogurt (favorite: Fage at the moment) with a little Dannon Light N Fit (favorite: Peach or Coconut) together, a protein-filled jello each in a 4 oz Glad tuberware, and baby spoon with an ice pack. In the looks for a not-so-nerdy lunch box. Also I take a 28oz bottle of water, but I can barely get through half. I used to drink 2 a day! Really need to focus of my water intake. I don’t want to end up in the hospital for dehydration. I’ve heard so many stories of this happening to patients. Not worth the medical bill!! Itchy incision scars!! Sooooo itchy sometimes. I would put some moisturizing lotions on my stomach and it seemed to help. This was good because it means that the incisions were healing. They don’t look too bad even at only 2 weeks out. I had to clean my belly button out daily because it is hidden under my stomach flap. Kinda can’t wait to actually see it! Also, I need to up my walking. I walk all day from class to class to work, but I barely hit 5000 steps a day. Weigh in: 257 (lost 5 lbs)

My First Week Staying home from school and work for a second week after Spring Break was amazing; although I wasn’t feeling so amazing. I had a really hard time breathing, my lung capacity was being blocked by the trapped air. Granted, I still looked like an Air Head. My surgeon still said it was normal that the gas was there and it would leave eventually. I went to my primary doctor on Monday for my follow up appointment and she was worried, tried to get in contact with my surgeon and ordered me to the ER. Kind of a waste of time because the doctor there said he would have to just speak with my surgeon again and monitor my vitals. I guess it is better to be safe, than sorry. I was released after about 2 hours with the same explanation my surgeon gave me over the phone. Major waste of $300 L But he was going to visit me ad run a CT scan to check, but I was already gone. So Monday and Tuesday were rough. My other pain came from my shoulders. Many people on this forum said this was pain from gas. It really was bothersome whenever I’d go to walk my dog, but be fine once I sat back down on the couch. In addition I had a pain in my right side whenever I would try to breathe in deep. By Wednesday (my mom’s birthday), I was finally feeling relief in my lungs and able to breathe better. Therefore, the pain was lessening with everyday. By Thursday I was finally feeling like myself which was great! As the days passed, I would feel better and better. Saturday, my mom and I took my dog, Lily to the beach in Connecticut! It turned out to be a beautiful, but cold day and we really enjoyed it. In order to sleep, I formed a reclining pillow pile on my bed to finally find a comfortable position. Forget about sleeping on my side! As for my diet, I was allowed water, protein shakes, SF pops, SF jello, broth, Gatorade, and greek yogurt/Dannon Light N Fit. I’m stuck in this stage for 3 full weeks. Killer, but manageable. While home, I had no distractions other than walking and TV so it was very difficult for me to fit off “head hunger.” Watching the Food Network was no help either! I couldn’t tell when I was hungry or full, so I emailed my nutritionist (who is awesome!) and she told me to realize to up my protein and water intake. WHAT A WEEK! Weigh-in: 262 (lost 19 lbs)

Surgery Day I registered at the hospital around 10:00am on March 15, 2012 with my brother. After a few minutes in the waiting room, I was taken to a room to be prepped. I changed into my gown, had IV put in my arm, and answered all the nurses’ prep questions. My mom arrived about 12pm and the rolled me into the OR at 1pm. It was freezing in there, but once my oxygen mask was on, the anesthesia kicked in and I passed out. Recovery I woke up really groggy and in excruciating pain. My face, neck, and chest had blown up because trapped the air used in the laparoscopic procedure. I had no idea until I saw myself in the mirror and the Nutty Professor was staring back. No one seemed really worried, except my mom who said I was unrecognizable. Once I was wheeled into my room on the pediatric floor, my doctor visited me for a brief moment and said that the trapped air was possible and should be released back into my system with a few weeks. Other than my freaky appearance, I couldn’t breathe normally because of the air around my lungs. I was constantly short of breath and it was just painful to breathe, especially in my right side when I breathed deeply. They gave me the ability to press a button whenever I wanted more pain meds pushed into my IV. When my doctor visited a second time he said I had gone a little overboard and they took me off it and put my on Tylenol. That was really no help managing the pain, but I withstood it without complaining too much. I later learned that I really should have complained more because I should have never been in so much pain while in the hospital. I survived and I know it could have been a lot worse. My nurses were wonderful, everyday. I could tell they really cared about my wellbeing during and after my hospital stay. Saturday morning, it took them a little long to get me on my way after my doctor discharged me in the morning.

Best of luck, Mrs.Riene!! Praying for a smooth surgery and speedy recovery! Can't wait to hear from you!

Congrats!! Awesome weight loss!! Congrats!! Awesome weight loss!!

You're in mine too! Best of luck!!