Ready?Going..

Hunger- wasn't hungry at all the first few weeks.....now, 4 months post op, I get HUNGRY!, when it is time to eat, 5-6 bites later, I'm full and good to go for another 3-4 hours! Energy - came around 4-6 weeks out.....and gets better every day! I LOVE it.....feeling more like myself again,..the younger, thinner self that is Clothes - I purchased a pair of size 16 Jones New York Jeans about 8 years ago.....they still have the tags on them, I've moved 750 miles and into 3 other dwellings since I bought those.....and they followed me faithfully. I put them on, zipped them up about 4 weeks ago.......and that's when I cried. Today, I wear 'em and look damn good too! I've lost about 45 pounds, first started to notice it in my face. Last night as the hubby and I lay in bed, he was looking down at me and I asked what he was looking at (afraid I'd missed a chin hair when plucking)......he just smiled and said......."your beautiful face. It's back."

The pain is mostly soreness and gas. Take the pain medications as prescribed and walk.....walk......walk. It works the soreness out and moves the gas on thru. Seriously, as soon as you can stand up......straight......walk. Sometimes the first walk looks more like a shuffle........hum a little tune and shuffle along. The first 24 hours after surgery were the most uncomfortable to me.....on a scale of 1-10, I'd have rated my worst pain as a 6 or so. And I discontinued the iv pain meds myself as the ones you take by mouth last longer and you feel better. This is awesome and the BEST thing I've ever done for myself........other than marry my husband.......well, and give birth to my 4 kids.

Every body loses differently. I'm 4 months out, and have lost 45 pounds. What has been weird for me, is days when my clothes are bagging and sagging.....the scale will read I haven't lost anything or even gained a couple of pounds. Very odd. I don't weigh daily, or even weekly.......I just eat and keep moving and grooving. I figured the scale obsession - and impending discouragement - I had for multiple years was part of how I got to 264# in the first place. As long as the clothes are getting looser.....you are winning the race!

Woot! Woot! Woot!.....keep it up, cause my word......you look awesome!!!!

A southern woman!!!! Lord, have mercy, I know just how you feel!!! Born and bred southern cook here! I have NEVER met a pat of butter or a cup of sugar I just didn't love!!!!! I have 4 kids (17-26) and a hubby that love my cookin' and lord knows I love to cook for them. Just 2 nights ago I was pulling roasted potatos and meat loaf outta the oven......had greens cookin' on the stove and the hubby says "this is almost perfect, where's the corn bread?". Truth be told, I didn't have any corn meal in the house (I know, my grandmomma is turning over in her grave right now) and hadn't thought about any. Another ah ha moment for me..........funny how life changes and the things we love fall to the way side when something else really cool comes along.....like 45 pounds less of me!! But, there'll be some corn bread this weekend or early next week.........cause his parents are coming to Houston and bringing us a "fresh mess" of turnip greens!

This life is different....not bad, just different. I had one of those days about 3 weeks post op where I wanted to be able to deal with a particular life stressor in my favorite old way........eat a ton of chips and salsa, drink way to much, and dive into enchiladas like tomorrow would never come! Of course, the 'ole sleeve doesn't allow that. And that was an ah ha moment for me...........why had my habit become a slow torment for me? Why did I need to punish myself? And I learned to embrace the Beatles.....just let it be. Tomorrow is another day. A good night's sleep, a smile from a joyful child.....and the world will be better tomorrow. And the new you will just keep showing up, little by little..........or I guess in our case, the new us shows "down" little by little.

Thank you ladies. It was a fun, ah ha moment!

Girl, I was sleeved back in June, and after about 5-7 days I was hungry....I swore I could just run a tube down my throat and pump those liquids in cause my arm was so sore from lifting the cup ALL THE TIME! I'd take 2-3 sips, be full as a tick on a fat dog........and then 5 minutes later starving to death!!! My surgeon laughed at me (for some reason, I get that response a lot) but encouraged me to keep drinking and sipping, things would even out........and they did. And maybe all that lifting toned up my biceps a little too.

I was sleeved back in June of this year and I'm surprised now regarding how hungry I can feel and how much of some things I can eat. I have discovered if I eat foods that are not processed (ham, greens) I get full quick!........but girl, I can eat me some Cheeze ITs........those things just go right in and right down sooooo easy. I don't know how much weight I've lost - somewhere around 35-40 pounds. I don't really care and I don't weigh often at all. I think it was all that obsessing that got me in this shape (round, rotund, obese) in the first place...........but I do know that I now wear a size 16 jean and I haven't done that in more than 15 years! Hang in there........this sleeve thing is very interesting and seems to be unique to each individual.

I'm sitting here, working in my home office, dressed in jeans and a soft, thin, brushed red sweater. Why is that such a big deal? Well, because the jeans are size 16 and the sweater is from American Eagle, size XL. These are normal sized clothes and they aren't binding or pinching or look gross. I look normal. I'm still 200+ pounds and have more to lose than I have thus far, but this is just so awesome. This is the first time in 15+ years I've worn normal clothes and felt so comfortable. I love my sleeve. I love my surgeon...........and I love my hubby most of all, because thru thin, emaciatedly thin, thick, thicker and thickest this man has loved me for me. When I was so uncomfortable in my own skin, when I was a younger me, angry with myself for what I felt I had done to myself..........this man loved me. And I sit here now, happy as can be, sipping tea, wearing jeans with a soft red sweater...............enjoying the little things...........and the littler me.

Today is 3 months post sleeve. I was in the surgeon's office yesterday to check in .......40 pounds down from pre-op weight. I quit weighing at home. It was too damned stressful and just not good for me. I knew my weight was at the lowest it has been in the past 13 years because my clothes look really pitiful on me. In fact, I'd gone shopping to the local outlet mall over the weekend to buy some pants because I'd seen some photographs taken recently and refused to put those pants back on.......they were too baggy!! And I knew my weight was down because when I look in the mirror, I'm beginning to resemble something that got left out in the sun too long!! Time to go to the gym! Which leads me to this funny story...... So, after the surgeon check in, I head off to my local Curves to sign up. I like Curves. It is good for a beginner. I'm a beginner.......again......I'm an experienced beginner. The lady checking me in does her questionnaire....."Have you lost or gained weight recently?" I smile, "Yes, I've lost 40 pounds in the past 3 months." Her eyes get big, "Really, how?" "I had a gastric sleeve procedure"......she looks confused....I clarify "I had weight loss surgery." Ding Ding Ding......she gets it! So along with the measurements, weight, etc........then she asks, "What do you want to gain from this?" I answer "I don't want to look like a record that's been left in the sun too long?"......She laughs, but I didn't give the answer she was looking for, so she tries again, "Ok, what else are you hoping to accomplish?"........I answer "Well, my 2 month old grandson weighs 15 pounds and I need more muscle to bounce that kid to sleep.".......another chuckle, but not the answer she was looking for..........she tries AGAIN "What do you want for yourself from the exercise program?".........my answer "Well, you see, I need to create a muscular core so when the plastic surgeon goes to reconstruct my abdomen, he'll have something to work with." I'm laughing my fat butt off, and she's chuckling, but I'm still failing the Curves admission test...........finally she just asks the question "Do you want to lose more weight?" Then I do bust a gut laughing.......... "Of course I do, ma'am........that's why I had the surgery 3 months ago. I'm gonna keep losing weight, regardless of whether I work out here or not. I want to work out so that I look GOOD and FIRM as the weight comes off.........not sick and saggy."

One advantage to slower weight loss......our skin has time to adjust so we don't look so.....deflated? Always a silver lining

My surgeon reminds me that we must eat to lose, told me to forget about counting calories, to eat high protein, low fat, few processed foods, no sugared beverages and just live my life. He was right. All this obsessing is part of how I got to be fat in the first place. Stressing, worrying, counting, pushing, and then the guilt......feel like a failure......and so the circle went. Eat well, live well, love much and laugh often............and have faith this sleeve will do it's job!

Congratulations!!!....ain't this just grand?!?!

I am 3 months post surgery today. I get hungry, about every 4 hours, but that is a good thing for me. Otherwise, I'd forget to eat and that doesn't help anybody! The cool thing is I can eat a small amount, like 4 Chick-fil-et nuggets, and call it a meal. Then I'm good for another 4 hours or so. The other night, the hubby and I had gone out to a local bar, danced our toes off, and were headed home about 1:30am. I was STARVING!! I told him he had to take me to get something, cause there was no way I could go to sleep.....my belly button was chewing on my back bone!!! 1 pinto/cheese from Taco Bell later (well, most of the 4 oz cup) and I was full as a tick on a fat dog and fast asleep.....and the hubby thinks it is great that I'm such a cheap date! LOVE my SLEEVE!