diochick

I smoke sheesha once every three mnths when i go out with the girls. Some ppl on this thread have gone back to cigarettes which i never smoked before and wont start. So i am very well aware of what i am doing. Thanks for the lecture

Verdict is in! Absolutely delicious! I ate half of one, my 18 month old daughter polished off a whole one and my extremely picky husband devoured them, and he can't wait for me to make them again. I highly recommend this recipe!

Hey Everybody, I"m from the Easton/Bethlehem area, My surgery is scheduled for 11/28/12 at LVH with Dr. Boorse. I'm nervous but excited at the same time! It feels great to connect with other people that are going through the same thing. I hope everybody is doing well!

That was a requirement by my insurance company (United healthcare). My surgeon wouldn't do the surgery without me losing 6% of my weight- to ensure the liver shrinks to reduce the chance of complications. My insurance company would also allow documented proof of a diet by any other method within the last 3 years- Jenny Craig, registered dietician, Weight Watchers, etc... as long as it showed 6 consecutive months of weigh ins. I'd recommend calling the insurance company, or even speaking with the insurance coordinator at your doctors office to get the full list of all requirements so another wrench isn't thrown in at the last minute.

First real "encounter" since the surgery (lots of fooling around, but yesterday was... the full meal deal). And... guys... wow. GET THIS SURGERY.
Before the surgery, I was a real "one minute wonder" (if I could even get lucky; at 338, it doesn't happen much). I would be panting and wheezing and see spots, and I was lucky to even be able to finish. I was used to the woman not... finishing, either.
Yesterday.
SEVEN. HOURS.
She had more... moments of joy than I could count (maybe 12? 15? 20?), and I had... THREE.
THREE. In one night! Guys, I'm 42. That just doesn't HAPPEN to guys my age.
And it certainly never happened before the sleeve.
Good god, men, if you have ANY problems in that area at all and are pre-sleeve, RUN, don't walk, and get the surgery.
UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE. I thought that stuff only happened in porno movies...
Ok, I'll shut up now. But... wow.
Sore... exhausted... and happy
Edit: uh, it wasn't seven hours continuously, I should mention... 8pm till 3am, but not all, uh, action. Even at my current fitness level, that WOULD kill me. Seven hours of go... rest, chat, laugh... go... rest, chat, laugh... repeat until too sore and exhausted to continue! And NOW I WILL shut up.

My surgery date is Oct.31 - I'm going to name it Hallow Sleeve

I also don't measure calories or nutritional info as I eat so little. I find most foods I used to love, just don't sound interesting anymore. I used to love Pasta. The thought of it doesn't turn my stomach or anything, but I just don't see the point in' eating it (if that makes sense). I am very picky flavor wise now, I almost feel empowered, where if I don't like the taste of something I don't feel compelled to finish it. I never did that before. Weird foods have always intrigued me, as a kid we'd go to the highland games, and I loved haggis! I'm almost 7 months out, and down about 90 lbs.

The gastric bypass pouch IS smaller. They call it the size of a "shot glass". Ours is a banana shape. Yes, our can hold more food that first year after surgery. HOWEVER--I know bypass people in real life. Once they are about a year out--they can eat about the same or MORE than sleevers can at the same point. Their pouches and/or stomas seem to stretch more than ours over time--that first year it's just really tiny.
One prime example: I know a lady who was sleeved and her daughter had bypass. The lady is 3 years post op sleeve and her daughter is about 2 and a half years post op bypass. She said that her daughter can eat almost 4 times as much food in a sitting as she can. I really believe because the fundus is removed during surgery (the stretchy part of the stomach) that our sleeve capacity will stand the test of time vs. a gastric bypass pouch.
This is just my theory. I know there are some gastric bypass people who don't eat much years down the road but I've known quite a few and they can eat a lot. So don't let that "shot glass" stomach fool you. I think some of it has to do with their "stoma" or "man made" food passage. Their stoma seems to stretch and allow more food. We sleevers have a pyloric valve which is the natural "food passage" tool that we are born with--so to speak. It seems to work much better and not allow for stretch like their stomas. As a matter of fact--studies have been coming out showing that some gastric bypass doctors are trying to find new ways to keep the pyloric valve in tact for weight loss surgery patients because the stoma stretching is so common in Roux en Y patients.

June 7th- 253lbs
June 21st- 237lbs
Today- 197lbs!!!!
56 down 47 to go!!!
this feels great.

I've only told my husband and mother in law. My own family doesn't know. If someone were to ask me if I had surgery, I don't know how I'd answer. It's not that I'm ashamed of it, but I'm an extremely private person. My husband knows for obvious reasons, his mother knows because we needed help with the kids during the recovery process. I haven't told my family because the live on the other side of the country and make zero effort to have anything to do with my life. If they don't want to know what's going on, I won't volunteer the information!

Verdict is in! Absolutely delicious! I ate half of one, my 18 month old daughter polished off a whole one and my extremely picky husband devoured them, and he can't wait for me to make them again. I highly recommend this recipe!

My starting weight was 281 and I'm 5'6", so I'm in a similar boat. I was sleeved almost 6 months ago, and am currently down to 198. My surgeon asked me what my personal goal was at the beginning of this journey, I said 170, which is the lightest I ever remember being, and it seemed doable. This would still leave me in the overweight category. I was told my goal was perfect, as that's where they would expect me to land. I've since shaved an additional 20 lbs off that goal which would put me at 150, and the normal range. I think the sleeve will assist you in getting to the surgeons goal, after that it's hard work and exercise. I go to the gym 2-3 times a week, and I'm seeing slow but steady results. As it's been said before-the sleeve is just the tool, it's how you use the tool that decides how well it works.

Surgery date I was 271, 3 months out I weighed 220, so 51 lb loss for me at that point

Thanks for your compliments everyone! They truly mean a lot to me. I really do enjoy the camera more now. I cannot wait to continue to take pictures so that I can continue to track my progress.
I wish all of you the best!

You look amazing, and you can just see how much happier you are now. It's like you're glowing! I wish I had the courage you do! I'm down 90+ lbs, and still don't go in front of the camera. I'm hoping to start working on that soon though

The reason I didn't even tell my parents- people can't keep their big pie holes shut!!!
<3
Congrats on your 50lbs!!!!

Fine. Pic changed. Now you get to see a pic of my dog in a tutu.

My starting weight was 281 and I'm 5'6", so I'm in a similar boat. I was sleeved almost 6 months ago, and am currently down to 198. My surgeon asked me what my personal goal was at the beginning of this journey, I said 170, which is the lightest I ever remember being, and it seemed doable. This would still leave me in the overweight category. I was told my goal was perfect, as that's where they would expect me to land. I've since shaved an additional 20 lbs off that goal which would put me at 150, and the normal range. I think the sleeve will assist you in getting to the surgeons goal, after that it's hard work and exercise. I go to the gym 2-3 times a week, and I'm seeing slow but steady results. As it's been said before-the sleeve is just the tool, it's how you use the tool that decides how well it works.

Who knows we could be part of starting a new WLS term.
Could you imagine the confusion of brand new people saying "What's the difference between underhunder and onederland?"

My personal weight goal is 180...which will "technically" still be "overweight"...even at 5' 11"!! However...I know that I will look and feel magnificent at that weight! My surgeon felt my number was a bit of a stretch (my weight at our first visit was 330), but I am determined. I'm now 11 weeks post-op, and am at 254...I KNOW I can lose the remaining 74 pounds!!

I'm a gigantic fan of the musician Ronnie James Dio, and I'm a chick, hence diochick

I'm a gigantic fan of the musician Ronnie James Dio, and I'm a chick, hence diochick