LilMissDiva Irene

Lap Band: Yes (obvious, as I did go back and do a different surgery). Sleeve: No. I have no desire to revise to any other WLS any further at this point. Depends on how my health is doing in the future. As for now, me and my sleeve are doing quite well together.

Just an FYI... please note 2 things: 1) If you are not on solids yet, you can do serious damage to your stomach. Your stomach was completely cut off and you have an incision line on it, and it is still healing. You can cause a leak on your stomach, which will make you seriously ill to where you can be laying in a hospital bed for months, or sadly can kill you. Don't do that to yourself. 2) If you ARE on solids, this was still a very poor choice. You went through an extremely serious surgery to change your life and lose weight and excess fat. Eating cheeseburgers is not going to accomplish this. I wish you success, and is the only reason I'm chiming in here. Take care of yourself, you only have one life.

^ ^ ^ What she said. Trust me when I say this... I researched literally for YEARS. Yet, I STILL came out of surgery feeling exactly the same feelings you're feeling. I regretted my decision. Sure did! I'm not afraid to say it, because it's the truth. That said it didn't last long. Once the pain subsided, and once I was able to feel more "with it" because I was able to get more fluids and Proteins in, I was starting to love my sleeve. Then as the weight dropped and I ran through so many clothing sizes... well it's easy to say I. LOVE. MY. SLEEVE!!!!! Best thing I've ever done. <0 Regrets today. This will be you, (all of you who are feeling this way right now) and very very soon!!!

Hi there Mark. Well, there is tons of information and it's hard to start just in the middle, so if you have any specific questions I'm more than happy to help out. You will really love it here. Everyone's friendly and very open to help out. I rarely see a topic with even only a few replies. Good luck in the coming months!!!

keke, that is FANTASTIC NEWS!!!! Yayyyy!!! Congrats and welcome to the ONEderful world of ONEderland!!

EXCELLENT!!!!! You're really working it! Regardless of the distance, etc. the main factor is you did it. Keep it up and you WILL do far more in much shorter time than you think. *hugs* I really love to hear about folks who work hard at working out.

Hi there, you can find out more information at our sister website regarding the sleeve plication. Good luck with your choice, whatever it may be!! http://www.sleeveplicationtalk.com/

I know I already said this on your status, but CONGRATS!! I can see your dedication and drive, and you will surely be one of the success stories around here. *hugs* Christmas can't come soon enough now!

I just make sure I'm not taking my calcium citrate anytime close to my mulit vitiamin / iron supplements. Iron blocks absorption of calcium, so I'd pretty much be buying $50 worth of it for zero benefit. I usually take my MV/I with breakfast too because they can be tough on the stomach and is much better digested with food.

Well to be honest I always belch at every meal and I too get sick from eating too much sugar. I guess everyone's side effects are different regardless of which type of surgery you have. I just hate for anyone to read this and think these side effects WON'T happen to them simply because they are choosing to get the sleeve. I think everyone should pick the very best surgery for themselves. Some folks do better with the Gastric Bypass because of the type of health issues and risks they have. Who know? That said, I too love my sleeve! In spite of my few issues, I'd still do it again this very moment if I could/had to.

Okay... I keep checking my body fat % through this website which asks you to enter in measurement data. It just now told me I'm at 27.22% and according to the charts I'm smack in the middle of Acceptable Body Fat %... WHHOOOHOOOO!!! That said, it IS just a website and they can be a little deceiving. I don't DISbelieve it, but how can I say it's true when its just a website... they don't really know? BTW here is the website: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/ They have tons of different options to check out. It is very interesting and I think they could be really could be close in my case... I am going to search out a Bod Pod in my area. I'd like to get my body fat % within the athletic range!! That would be really nice I'm thinking 19%... LMAO... yeah right.

samnyc, Its stories like yours that I find keeps me coming back here. Thank you so much for sharing this. You are well over the hump, and WOW losing 200 Lbs is just incredible!!! !!!!!CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Fabulous Ms. SK!!! I'm so happy for you, you've done EXCELLENT with your sleeve!!! Hang in there, it just keeps getting better... *hugs*

WLS Do’s and Don’ts DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!! DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next: DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op. DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can. DO celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it. DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own… DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples: DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do! DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go. DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses. DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!! DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now. DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!! DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences. DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc… DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could! DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life! And finally… DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance. DON’T EVER GIVE UP. I don’t think any explanation is necessary here. Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind. Source: Weight Loss Surgery DO's and DON'Ts

<br><br>My pleasure!<br><br>

Have you checked out the recipe sharing section of this forum? There are so many ideas, you could have something different every day for months. Good luck!

Wow that sounds delish and easy with the crock. Thanks for sharing!!