DIAMOND45

Don't be afraid, God will watch over you and your doctors and you will come through this like a champion. I am scheduled for surgery on March 15, and I don't allow myself time to be fearful, because I lean on my Faith, and I understand whom it is that I belong to. I really believe this, " If God brings you to it, He will see you through it!"
I to have a silly thing I am looking forward too, and that is to wear a belt with a cute blouse and really have a waist without wearing a waist reducting garment or spannx
under it for shape, because I'm sooooooo tired of the "Girdle Garments!"
P.S. I will put you in my prayers

I think you will lose more for sure. Seems like everyone hits stalls, some more than others. I stalled pretty much the entire month of April on the scale. I didn't gain anything and I dropped a pant size though so not too frustrated. How many calories are you taking in? You may want to try experimenting with raising your calories a little and see if it kicks your body into losing. If they are low it could be in starvation mode. I raised my calories last week and started losing again. Just something to consider.

I've been sleeved for almost 2 months and I love it. My sleeve has helped me finally be and feel in control of my weight and health. Since I had this procedure done, I am more motivated to get up and exercise at least 4 to 5 times a week, I started with walking right after surgery and everyday up til my 6 weeks out and now I swim, I do strength training, zoomba and I still walk alot. It does take making some serious adjustments, as far as changing eating and drinking habits, but it is well worth this for me. My sleeve, has become my 3rd best friend, ( God 1st, & hubby 2nd). No regrets at all!!! I was a snug size 16 on March 1 and now I'm in a comfortable 12, thanks to my self and my sleeve partnership!

I'm for weeks out and my stomach still growls at me everyday! I guess that's its way of letting me know to send down some food since I don't have the "Hunger Hormone" in there anymore. Rught after I eat something, it stops for about 3 hours, then it starts up again and I also have a slight hiccup as well, but I can live with all of this because I'm feeling and looking better every day!

Hi Jared,
I'm almost a month out and I feel great!! I was a little concerned about being able to eat if they took out part of my stomach, but then I started
thinking about how much we as a society overeat any way and how much I've probably stretched my stomach out of its natural size to hold all
the extra food that I've been indulgimg on forever, I decided I would be fine and that it was about time I that I started eating to live and stop
living to eat. I don't feel any different, I just get full faster, I do look different (Yay!) because so far I've lost almost 30 lbs and I no longer have
high blood pressure. The only difference I see in my life since I decided to have the surgery is that I can't eat as much as I use to, I have no desire to eat
crappy, unhealthy food, I really look forward to excercising, and for once in my life I'm learning how to eat right, lose weight and keep it off. So I am
officially PUSHING over the fence into the operating room. GET IT DONE!!! LOL

Hi Jen,
Just wanted to give you some words of encouragement. You are not making a bad decision. The wrong decision would be not to do what is best for your health.
I believe that God wants hisw children to be complete in all aspects of our live, spiritually, mentally and physically. People who are either satified with being over-
weight or who have never had to struggle with their weight don't understand how hard it is to successfully lose weight and keep it off. They are probably looking at
you and saying that you are not big enough to need this surgery, but let me tell you, if you are 60-70 lbs or more overweight, this surgery can really help you get on
the path to a much healthier, happier quality of life. I decided to have this surgery because I was diagnosed with hypertention in December 2011, I had to start taking
a low dose pill and my doctor said it was weight related, that was all i needed and I started researching docs and everything about this surgery that I could. I finally
picked a doctor, had my consult on Feb. 2 and my surgery on March 15th. I've lost almost 30 lbs since my surgery (including pre-op liquids) and guess what, I no
longer have hypertention and my arthritis in my knee doesn't bother me as much anymore. I give God al the honor, praise, and glory for leading me down this
path. So don't be afraid, pray and trust in the Lord, He will be with you and I will be praying for you and your family. If you like, check out my blog, I post some
spiritual Vitamins that have helped me as well as others with our struggles. You will be fine and I will ask God to watch over you, your surgeon, and everyone
who will be involved with your surgery. You will have NO COMPLICATIONS, GOD IS REAL!!!!!!

Hi Jared,
I'm almost a month out and I feel great!! I was a little concerned about being able to eat if they took out part of my stomach, but then I started
thinking about how much we as a society overeat any way and how much I've probably stretched my stomach out of its natural size to hold all
the extra food that I've been indulgimg on forever, I decided I would be fine and that it was about time I that I started eating to live and stop
living to eat. I don't feel any different, I just get full faster, I do look different (Yay!) because so far I've lost almost 30 lbs and I no longer have
high blood pressure. The only difference I see in my life since I decided to have the surgery is that I can't eat as much as I use to, I have no desire to eat
crappy, unhealthy food, I really look forward to excercising, and for once in my life I'm learning how to eat right, lose weight and keep it off. So I am
officially PUSHING over the fence into the operating room. GET IT DONE!!! LOL

Hi Jared,
I'm almost a month out and I feel great!! I was a little concerned about being able to eat if they took out part of my stomach, but then I started
thinking about how much we as a society overeat any way and how much I've probably stretched my stomach out of its natural size to hold all
the extra food that I've been indulgimg on forever, I decided I would be fine and that it was about time I that I started eating to live and stop
living to eat. I don't feel any different, I just get full faster, I do look different (Yay!) because so far I've lost almost 30 lbs and I no longer have
high blood pressure. The only difference I see in my life since I decided to have the surgery is that I can't eat as much as I use to, I have no desire to eat
crappy, unhealthy food, I really look forward to excercising, and for once in my life I'm learning how to eat right, lose weight and keep it off. So I am
officially PUSHING over the fence into the operating room. GET IT DONE!!! LOL

Hi Jen,
Just wanted to give you some words of encouragement. You are not making a bad decision. The wrong decision would be not to do what is best for your health.
I believe that God wants hisw children to be complete in all aspects of our live, spiritually, mentally and physically. People who are either satified with being over-
weight or who have never had to struggle with their weight don't understand how hard it is to successfully lose weight and keep it off. They are probably looking at
you and saying that you are not big enough to need this surgery, but let me tell you, if you are 60-70 lbs or more overweight, this surgery can really help you get on
the path to a much healthier, happier quality of life. I decided to have this surgery because I was diagnosed with hypertention in December 2011, I had to start taking
a low dose pill and my doctor said it was weight related, that was all i needed and I started researching docs and everything about this surgery that I could. I finally
picked a doctor, had my consult on Feb. 2 and my surgery on March 15th. I've lost almost 30 lbs since my surgery (including pre-op liquids) and guess what, I no
longer have hypertention and my arthritis in my knee doesn't bother me as much anymore. I give God al the honor, praise, and glory for leading me down this
path. So don't be afraid, pray and trust in the Lord, He will be with you and I will be praying for you and your family. If you like, check out my blog, I post some
spiritual Vitamins that have helped me as well as others with our struggles. You will be fine and I will ask God to watch over you, your surgeon, and everyone
who will be involved with your surgery. You will have NO COMPLICATIONS, GOD IS REAL!!!!!!

I was freaking out about this hair thing because I have been reading all these comments about handfuls of hair falling out starting around 3-4 months post-op and I am a person of color and I do have a head full of thick shoulder length hair. After reading all the blogs on the internet about this topic, I was really considering cancelling my surgery (March 15, 2012) because I take pride in taking excellent care of my hair which we all know is an extention of who we are. But then I started thinking, "hey it's only hair, do what you can to minimze the Hair loss, it will grow back, or just cut it short now, and by some Diva wigs and by the time it grows back, you will be a healtier, slimmer you"! So I am going on full
steam ahead! Just think about it, we've had this struggle with our weight for so long and now with this tool and and our own efforts, we now have a chance to be FREE of this obesity monster, so if it means we lose some hair on our heads to gain a healthier body for life, then I say
it's worth it! So I'm going to continue to trust in the Lord with all my heart, take great care of my hair, take my Vitamins, Biotin ect. and if the hair falls out, I'm getting me a fabulous Diva Wig Collection to have on standby and if I will "Rock The Wig!" :D :D

God bless you, and keep you! Everything will be fine and your surgery will sail through with out any complications. I will be keeping you in prayer and I'm also set
for surgery this Thursday, so we can't be worrying because, "God has got this!"

I agree wholeheartedly with Dooter!!! I have struggled my entire life with weight. I have been married to the most wonderful man for ten tears. when we got married, I was a nice size 10, but do to health issues, knee surgery, and poor eating habits, I packed on alot of weight and went to size 16/18 and my husband has never missed a beat in loving me more everyday. He has always made me feel that I was the sexiest women in the room, even when I told him I wanted to have this surgery, he said, "If this is going to help you feel better and healthier for you, then I'm in this all the way." But he also wanted me to know that if I never lost a pound, I would always be his sexy wife. This is the kind of love and support you should be looking for in a potential husband, the kind that loves you "in the now' and will continue to love
you no matter what. But first, my dear, you have got to love yourself. I wish you all God's best on your journey! :D

I agree wholeheartedly with Dooter!!! I have struggled my entire life with weight. I have been married to the most wonderful man for ten tears. when we got married, I was a nice size 10, but do to health issues, knee surgery, and poor eating habits, I packed on alot of weight and went to size 16/18 and my husband has never missed a beat in loving me more everyday. He has always made me feel that I was the sexiest women in the room, even when I told him I wanted to have this surgery, he said, "If this is going to help you feel better and healthier for you, then I'm in this all the way." But he also wanted me to know that if I never lost a pound, I would always be his sexy wife. This is the kind of love and support you should be looking for in a potential husband, the kind that loves you "in the now' and will continue to love
you no matter what. But first, my dear, you have got to love yourself. I wish you all God's best on your journey! :D

Sweetie, please do yourself a huge favor and let go of what ANYone thinks of how you look, especially a bunch of slobbering morons who can't see past a few pounds to who you really are. (Calm down guys, I'm only talking about the creeps!) A good man worthy of your attention and affection will love you just like you are right now (however that is;). I met my husband when i weighed 225 and he's been with me all the way up to 340. He's only loved me more every day. (Thank God!) I hope this decision is for how YOU feel about how you look and for your health. Don't try to please the meanies. Do it for you. I wish you all the best!

God bless you, and keep you! Everything will be fine and your surgery will sail through with out any complications. I will be keeping you in prayer and I'm also set
for surgery this Thursday, so we can't be worrying because, "God has got this!"

Yep, super common. It happens to most of us. Your body needs time to adjust. Relax, because you WILL lose the weight. I never worried about my stalls until just recently when I went through a 6 week period of only a pound or so lost. I'm at a normal BMI and I wondered if my body was just done. I still want to lose about 5-10 lbs. Then, this morning, low and behold, the scale started moving again. Let your body have the time it needs to readjust to your new weight and then you'll see the pounds come off. It's like stepping down stairs: plateau, step, plateau, step.

Hmm. My answer to this is in two parts:
A year ago I ran across an old friend of mine from high school/college. We had been really close and had lived together for awhile as roommates. After college, life moved us in different directions and we lost contact. Flash forward a few years and we meet up again rather unexpectedly. After the hugs, and the talk about the 'good old days' and where everybody was it got kinda quiet. I kept looking at her and thinking, "Isn't there more? We used to be best friends and now...what?" It was almost like a stranger wearing the face of a friend. After our meeting was over I felt an emotion that I had never felt before- bittersweet. We had been so much a part of each others lives, that it was strange now to realize that things had changed and that you cannot turn back the clock. That there is no magic button that you can hit and everything POOFS and is fixed. Thus, bittersweet; the yearning for things to be other than what they are, the 'what ifs', to have unfulfilled expectations, even though you are happy in your life.
I also think that during this journey our focus turns very inward. The striving to lose weight can become the gold at the end of the rainbow, we obsess over every pound and feel euphoria over every NSV. We experience such strong emotions all around the idea of our weight. Yet even when we reach our goals we still have to get up every morning and live the life that we are living. Becoming a size 6 doesn't mean that our lives are automatically exciting, or dashing, or filled with romance. We do not suddenly have amazing jobs that fill our souls with joy and bring a song to our hearts. The weight loss gives us the physical ability to be able to go find that exciting, romantic life but in the end that final step is up to us. I kind of equate it to the metaphor that we have all been prisoners for a very long time and are suddenly granted freedom. The cage doors are open, the wilderness beckons, yet we stand at the doorway looking out at the sun. We are not used to taking that step into a new life. To throw our self into the unknown with only faith to catch us. Changing the outside can be easier than changing the inside. The prison is gone, but the prisoner mentality is still there. Yet we can learn that all we need to do is take that first step.
I don't know if I got any of this right or if I totally misunderstood your post. I'm sorry that you are feeling down and I hope that maybe this helped a little bit. Even if it didn't, know that you do have people thinking of you and wishing you well.

You will definitely be in my prayers and bless your family for giving you the strength to push ahead. Can someone blog us to let us know that all is well with you?

Look at it this way, you can never have a bad hair day with a "Diva Wig" on standby!

Celebrate your NSVI I am celebrating with you and God is watching over you. Now, take some time out from somewhere, and go have some fun and get
some jeans that fit! LOL

I was freaking out about this hair thing because I have been reading all these comments about handfuls of hair falling out starting around 3-4 months post-op and I am a person of color and I do have a head full of thick shoulder length hair. After reading all the blogs on the internet about this topic, I was really considering cancelling my surgery (March 15, 2012) because I take pride in taking excellent care of my hair which we all know is an extention of who we are. But then I started thinking, "hey it's only hair, do what you can to minimze the Hair loss, it will grow back, or just cut it short now, and by some Diva wigs and by the time it grows back, you will be a healtier, slimmer you"! So I am going on full
steam ahead! Just think about it, we've had this struggle with our weight for so long and now with this tool and and our own efforts, we now have a chance to be FREE of this obesity monster, so if it means we lose some hair on our heads to gain a healthier body for life, then I say
it's worth it! So I'm going to continue to trust in the Lord with all my heart, take great care of my hair, take my Vitamins, Biotin ect. and if the hair falls out, I'm getting me a fabulous Diva Wig Collection to have on standby and if I will "Rock The Wig!" :D :D

Look at it this way, you can never have a bad hair day with a "Diva Wig" on standby!

Glad to here that your trust is in the Lord, continue to hold on to your faith and you will heal and be on your way to a healthier, better you!

I am also going in for my surgery on March 15 and I would love to have a pre-op buddy to correspond with through
this journey. I live in Texas. There is always "great strength" in numbers !

I am having my surgery on March 12th and would love to have someone to talk to through this journey.