LilMissDiva Irene

And you are great as well!!! @MaryMoon, WELCOME to VST!!! Your story is very common around here. I do believe it's hard to guage exactly how big we really are - and as for me it was the pictures of me here and there (very few indeed) that gave me the truth. Therefore I hated taking pictures, it made me face reality. I'm looking forward to hearing your progress... good luck!!!

Hey Kristina! Here's what I find keeps me successful: Following your pre and post op diet plans your Surgeon/Nutritionist has given you. Staying focused!!! Don't let outside factors distract you from your task at hand, and that is working your tool. Don't give nay sayers any credence. Be APPRECIATIVE of every pound you lose. They are all worthy of self praise. Be happy for yourself in all your victories, whether it be on the scale or just the little things that remind you, you ARE getting smaller. Take photos of yourself at start and in between. You will sometimes need a little comfort when you are going through a stall... Which brings me to taking your measurements often! ...and keeping one set of your largest clothing. When you're feeling down, pull these out and try them on or put them against you. Your resolve will be renewed. Do not ever beat yourself up, we have all done enough of this in the past. Where has it gotten me personally? No where but up up up, and for me I'm done with that! Start some kind of exercise routine. You don't have to strive to run marathons, but as long as you are doing some type of activity you will lose and your shape will thank you for it. Do what you can, what really matters most is that you are doing something as opposed to nothing. If you have junk food in your house, get rid of it!!! If all else fails, come here to vent or just to read all of the success stories. Whatever it takes to keep you motivated, you should be doing. Everyone here is super supportive and I'm very lucky to be a part of such a dynamic group of folks. We all just want to see ALL OF US COME OUT SUCCESSFUL!!! Believe me, you absolutely will as long as you are working your tool!! Log your food too, especially in the beginning until you get used to your new eating habits and routines. Try not to skip meals, this will hinder your metabolism. Many of us do not feel hunger (physical) anymore so you may need to set yourself reminders when it's time to eat. Get in no less than 60g Protein per day. Do your very best to get in a minimum of 64 oz of Water per day. The more the better!! In the hospital, this is your mantra: Sip, Walk, Rest, Repeat. Don't forget your breathing exercises too! You don't want pneumonia on top of having to recover. And last but not least, please PLEASE have patience with yourself. You are going to undergo and very major surgery. Don't be in a rush to lose 30 Lbs in the first week. Especially don't compare your losses to others. You will be quickly disappointed when you do this. Again, as I mentioned above - be happy for EVERY SINGLE POUND LOST - for those are pounds you will never see again. STAY POSITIVE!!! HTH

Hello every 1 hope all is well i was sleeved on 3/8/11 and i wanted to ask a few questions regarding the after effects of the sleeve 1. is it normal to still have to sip while drinking fluids or should you be able to consume a little bit more I just recently have been able to drink more than a sip at a time, and I'm almost 7 months out. I definitely still had to sip small at one month. 2. is it normal not to be able to tolerate mash potatoes Yes, potatoes used to make my stomach very upset feeling for the first few months. 3 is having indigestion normal at this point (i feel like after every sip i have to burp) I still burp quite a bit... our stomachs are very small so every little bit of trapped air has to be released quickly. also i would like to know at what point will i be able to enjoy food ,No im not saying i want to go to Mc donalds and get a number 2 , i just want to be able to enjoy a meal without worrying about bringing it back up , (not all foods that i eat come back up) i spoke with my doctor in 4/7 for my follow and he told me everthing that im am currently feeling is normal and that i shoukd keed in mind that i just had a major surgery , and with time things will get better Your Dr. is absolutely right. Try not to stress so much, and give your mind and your body a little time to adapt to your new lifestyle. Your stomach is barely 15-20% the size it used to be. It is going to take a lot of time and patience to get to know it. Like I said, I'm 7 months out and I'm still finding out new things. Hang in there, and coming here to vent is the very best way to get the frustrations out. Believe me, lots of us have been there and done that - and I for one am willing to help walk you through it. HOW I FEEL im feeling as if i shouldnt have done the surgery ,and i feel very depressed he told me i should stop taken the reglan and perscibed me ativan , idont know its just one of those days were i feel down , i come to vs cause i know in some way we all are connected and are family , so i just wanted some imput from someone . my husband was totally againist the surgery he didnt take me to the hospital the day of the surgery nor did he come vist me the 2 days i was in the hospital ... and you shouldnt eveven have to ask if he picked me ( if your wondering no he didnt ) he just waiting to see me vomit ( which he never has) so he can have something to say. he doesnt even acknowldge my weight loss so far Buyer's remorse is very common. Don't feel bad for wondering or second guessing whether you had made the right decision. You didn 't have the surgery for your husband, you did it for YOU and your health. Give him some time too, he needs to adapt to the new you just like you have to adapt to the new you. I'm sure in time you will both see that you did the right thing. ON A LIGHTER NOTE im off all my diabetic medication both pills and insulin as well as my blood pressure medication i went from 254 down to 210 as of today This very sentence right here should open your eyes to see that the sleeve WAS the right choice. You're doing fantastic, now appreciate and Celebrate your victories. Positive reinforcement from yourself, is a must in this journey.

Hey Sarah, that is an awesome NSV!!! Sounds like you had an amazing time, so really seriously - CONGRATS on all you have accomplished so far. From, your cheering section!!!

Hello crowd! I haven't been posting much I know, I've been really really busy at home and at work too. It has taken all my time and time posting here has been very limited. I had a kinda strange NSV last night and thought I'd share it. I was a little bit perplexed by it and thought, wow... do I really look THAT different? Strange... Anyway, my Mom and I have been commuting to work together for the past few days. My Mom just started back up to work and she works near where I do. We thought it would be a good idea because then we can share on gas and have use of the carpool lane too... which is great!! Plus our schedules work out perfectly so she can drop me at my office and pick me up after since I work 9 hours a day. Well, yesterday I had to wait on her because she made a quick stop at the grocery store. As I was standing by the curb waiting for her, I started playing on my Droid phone. I wasn't really paying enough attention I guess to those pulling up and waiting or picking up others. She made her way there and got out to get into the passenger side (she hates driving in gridlock so I do it). Well, next thing I know I hear my Mom call my name, so I go over and get into the car. She looks at me confused and said, "I didn't even recognize you at first!!" LOL!!! I just looked at her and said.. "you didn't recognize me?" She said, "No, you look so skinny and I didn't know that was you!" Haaahhaaa!! I just chuckled, but I was really surprised to hear this. You know, My Mom lives with us so she freakin sees me every day. I guess in this situation it was a bit different, because she had to scan me amongst others around. Not only that I see friends every single day and I'm even having to go out of my way to say hello to them and they always look shocked and say, "oh my goodness hey!! I didn't even recognize you!" They mean to just walk right past me... it's so funny!! It does make me a little sad too but hey I guess they'll get used to the new me eventually. I just never imagined that in 6 months I would change so much physically that folks I see day in and day out wouldn't even recognize me from afar.

THANK YOU sooo much everybody!! Today I have decided that I am going to accept what is, and be proud of all my accomplishments. I am going to run a 5k in less than a month and I am healthier than I've ever been in my life. I can thank my sleeve yes, it has been a major contributor, but there is no one greater contributer than me myself and I. Feeling good about myself, and appreciating the rewards of all the hard work. Blessings!!! I hope everyone had a really great weekend.

Hi Speedy, I am a former lap bander too. Though I wasn't cursed with the bad scar tissue, which is a miracle since I had mine for almost 3 years. My problem was it was simply ineffective on me. I was never once able to find my sweet spot. .2cc and I was too tight, then .25cc removed and I could eat a horse. Tell me how I'm supposed to concentrate on losing when my find is filled with regrets like that? I initially lost 55 Lbs with it, but honestly I don't give any credit to the band. I did all of that myself while I was constantly being adjusted. I guess I just gave up trying because I gained it all back. I also got those awful night coughs from being too tight for too long. I got tired of all the fills/unfills... LOL I seriously had about 21 adjustements in the entire time I had the band. Anyway, here I am nearly 7 months out and revised to sleeve. I really love my sleeve. REALLY!!! It is everything I wanted out of my band and then some. I will pray for you that your stomach heals well enough for you to get the sleeve, because I know you would do really well with it. I can tell of your motivation. Blessings, and anytime you need a shoulder we are always here.

Sheesh I'm so sorry to hear that!! I know once I had my mind made up I couldn't have my surgery fast enough. Just try to hang in there and keep your mind occupied as much as you can. If you do that the time will go by a little faster for you. No worries, your day will be here and it really does come and go really quick. Set up a countdown ticker, I did and I found it helped when I'd look at it and see the 10... 9... 8... 7... etc. Hugs!!!

Hahaaa!!! Truly awesome isn't it??? Thanks girlie!! This is so very very true. You hit the nail on the head, because being obese we carry more weight on our shoulders than we do on our whole bodies. Our lives, the air we breath, our every thought is consumed by being heavy. I know that feeling too well wondering if that chair with the sides is going to be able to work on my giant frame. Or if I step on a step stool, will it break underneath me??? - that kind of thing. It's so sad and is becoming more a memory for me every day - but I still find myself thinking like this from time to time. I have to remind myself, that yes - I can fit in those tiny seats at the sporting event and all that kind of stuff... and believe it those seats are tiny!!! Now I'm fitting in them with even a little wiggle room. It's pretty cool. I do really love this NSV because for once in about 20 years, I'm actually being considered of normal size. I never imagined I would be here already barely 6 months out when I was looking up at those lights getting ready to take a deep nap and wake up with no stomach (and no band! ). Cheers!!!

Actually yes I have tried the Slim Fast Low Carb shakes. They are really good, thick and tasty. I like them. I don't think it would hurt to give them a try - but try the chocolate first and if you can only buy one six pack. Everyone's tastes are different and you don't want to be stuck with a bunch if you don't like them.

You are not alone in that feeling!! Sometimes I have to stop myself from making some asinine response... LOL One gal said, Hey you've lost some weight huh? How much? I replied, none, I have not lost any weight!! I acted kinda upset like, what you callin me fat?? LOL!! It was pretty funny though... she's a good sport. I do find myself trying to change the subject, nearly every time too. I just don't want my whole life's day in and day out being about me and losing weight I guess. It will all stop eventually I suppose, unless I see someone I haven't in a long time, then it would get brought up. At least that is what I tell myself everytime I get told I'm losing weight or whatever comment. That usually makes me feel better... Ah, now see, as I replied to the above this one's the same for me. I actually shy away from being called skinny or thin or whatever folks remark to me. Only because I know I'm none of these. They're just not used to seeing me look halfway normal. I'd say me being in a 12/14 is really considered normal in this heavier world. I still don't consider myself skinny though. I think it's just maybe a matter of ME accepting the new me, rather than the other way around! Know what I mean? It is interesting no doubt!! It was really weird being told from the woman who gave me life that she didn't even recognize me. LOL!! Just imagine, in a few months, this will be you too!!