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Best of luck - be sure to update us here so we know how it went! I'm doing a FET (frozen embryo transfer) cycle right now. We did IVF w/ICSI in 2007 and these are the five embryos we had left. I take my first injection in a few days. Pretty exciting stuff, and much easier than the initial IVF! Best to you - I'm sending positive thoughts your way. ~Cheri

Hell, even with the sleeve it still took me SEVENTEEN months to get to goal. There is no way on earth I could have sustained any diet that long. And I did try WW (twice), Nutrisystem (twice) and MediFast in addition to a myriad of other diet programs. Keep up the good work on your blog - I enjoy your perspective. ~Cheri

Lettuce is very hard on a lot of people. I wasn't able to eat it until after six months. Sometimes it still bothers me if I eat too much! Measuring your food is a great way to be accountable. Your full signal should come back. It might be different than your old signals. For me it's a runny nose or the hiccups. If I pass that I feel ill. ~Cheri

I hope you'll take some of the advice here and seek out additional help, even if it's only coming to this forum each day and interacting. I wanted to add that you should be taking a PPI like Nexium or Prilosec if you're feeling any issues with acid. You should also be taking sublingual B12. I didn't think the B12 was all that important and I was pretty hit or miss on taking mine. I had a panel done and I was really deficient in B12 and Iron. Now that I'm on B12 shots and taking a new iron supplement I'm not tired, cranky, forgetful and I even sleep better. After just a few weeks of shots I feel so much better it's unbelievable. So please make sure you get the B12 or you'll feel even worse. It's very inexpensive and you can buy it just about anywhere. Hormonal ups and downs are not uncommon as we start to shed the weight. Get some help for these rough Patches. A lot of us find ourselves floundering when our old coping mechanisms involving food are gone and we're forced to deal with things we used to bury with food. ~Cheri

Not only money. Experience and quality of care! I could have chosen any doctor and did research three from the outset - two stateside and Dr. Aceves in Mexico. After contacting each office and having several interactions with each, Dr. Aceves won HANDS DOWN. Yes, he was cheaper but only by a few thousand - not enough for me to make my decision solely based on money. I got 4 days in the hospital instead of being sent home 23 hours later with drains in my body. I got to see my doctor and his assistant several times a day every day I was there. I had top notch care from one of the best sleeve surgeons out there. Dr. Aceves has done well over a thousand sleeves by now and still has a record of zero leaks. Oh, and at nearly two years out I still hear from the office occasionally asking how I'm doing! And to continue on an only loosely related note, I've lived overseas for most of the last ten years and I will tell you that in my experience a lot of Americans have this idea that health care is somehow lacking in other countries simply because they aren't as developed as the US. Now, granted, in some places this is absolutely true (Dushanbe, for instance!) but in other places the care can be superior (at least as far as personable doctors and staff go) and equal to the care in the states - at a FRACTION of the cost. Case in point: I just had twelve tests done to figure out if I have a problem with my hormones. I had my labs sent to Almaty, Kazakhstan and I had my ultrasounds (three of them) performed here in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Total cost for nine blood tests and three ultrasounds, all performed on the same day I made the appointment with results in my hand within 24 hours? Less than 3,000 som...or roughly $65! All in safe, sanitary and totally up to US standard conditions. I also had IVF w/ICSI performed in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2007 for a fifth of what I was quoted stateside and again, great conditions and successful results. So sometimes people choose to go elsewhere because they can. Because the medical care in the US is completely F'd up and it's almost impossible to get good quality care at a reasonable price. Okay, I'm done! This is clearly a peeve of mine, sorry to completely go off. I see this same question posted over and over again and it never fails to annoy me that some people think that going anywhere but the US is automatically based upon money and is always going to be a less safe option. ~Cheri

I go up and down with my capacity as my time of the month nears, too. I swear that darn sleeve relaxes when I have PMS!! Look - half a sandwich and a hard boiled egg is NOTHING compared to what you would have eaten a year ago. I'm going to say something you might not like but I really want to help you. I think you're scared that you don't have the self control to eat "normally" and that you want the sleeve to do it all for you. On one hand, you're in luck. That sleeve might expand enough to fit a whole sandwich (sans crust, of course) but it's not going to fit a whole pizza or a value meal from McDonald's again. It's unlikely you're going to expand much at all from this point onward. Part of this process is learning to eat normally. We need to view food as vital, as nourishing and as energy instead of as a source of comfort or something to feel guilty about. Around 18 months out I noticed an increased capacity (FINALLY!) and did the same thing - I freaked a little bit. But what was I freaked about? I was finally able to eat TWO eggs scrambled with cheese instead of only one. Big whoop! You are not losing control. You are in control. There will come a point when you need to eat more in order to maintain your energy and your goal weight. Slowly learning how to do it without scaring yourself, losing control or seeing a gain on the scale is an important part of the process. This is what nobody talks about when they talk about surgery! Dealing with the mental aspect of the surgery is the most important thing you can do for yourself. Your stomach didn't make you overweight - something in your head did. Figure it out. Limiting yourself too severely because you're afraid eating will cause a gain is an eating disorder just as surely as overeating in the past was a disorder. If you aren't already, track your calories. Sometimes I get a lot of comfort from seeing numbers in the same ballpark each day and knowing that I'm eating the right amount of food even when I feel like I'm overdoing things. Good luck, ~Cheri

Yes, it's hard but you're doing the VERY best thing you can do for yourself post-op. You're fixing the heart of the problem and learning what made you overweight in the first place. This is the hardest part of the entire thing, in my opinion. Losing the weight was pretty easy even though it happened more slowly than I wanted. Actually fixing ME was harder but so very worth the effort. Keep it up! This is what it's about - not just getting a healthier body but a healthier mind and outlook, too. ~Cheri

Okay, I went through this, too. Even lactose-free milk gave me problems, so be wary of it until you're sure you can tolerate it! For a while, the only dairy I could tolerate at all was hard cheese and only in very small amounts. I switched to soy milk and coconut milk and now that I'm overseas I make my own soymilk (nothing available at the stores here and I like the taste of mine better anyway). I was able to shop around with samples to find a lactose-free shake I could tolerate, too. It took a long time but was worth the trouble. You need to find a shake that works for you so please keep at it. I remember feeling horribly discouraged and frustrated but once I could branch out and eat more foods (instead of just eggs!) I felt a lot better. And the good news is that I've been able to slowly incorporate dairy back into my life. I still have problems with milk but I can eat small portions or yogurt, ice cream, soft cheeses, etc. now. I'm know other folks that developed lactose intolerance were able to reincorporate some dairy after one year, too. Chin up! It's very challenging in the beginning and yes, it definitely leads to a feeling of deprivation when you have to change your entire diet. But there are options out there for you and it is still possible to succeed. Good luck! ~Cheri

Mine resolved around 4-6 months out but prior to that I took a PPI (generic Prilosec) every day. Now I'm nearly 2 years out and only occasionally do I need an antacid. ~Cheri

Normal! I couldn't hit my Protein and liquid intake goals for several months. Everyone is different but I went through exactly the same experience as you. I hated to eat for months, actually. It was a chore, which was a huge turnaround! My favorite food was cottage cheese...but then I developed lactose intolerance and spent day after day eating scrambled eggs. Trust me, I feel your pain. I wouldn't drop the shakes. I'd try to find either a new way to prepare them or find a new shake that doesn't bore you. I'm nearly two years out and I still drink a shake each day! If I want to eat 90+ grams of protein but still get in plenty of carbs I need one. They are just about the only source of real protein in the beginning. You need protein! So my advice is to relax about eating enough protein in your actual food for a little while. Eat what you can but don't beat yourself up too much. Get back on shakes! One a day - mix it with coffee or tea or juice or whatever it takes to make it palatable for you. It does get a lot easier. Hang in there. Oh, and don't worry about ups and downs and slowdowns on the scale. We don't get to lose at a consistent (or even fast!) rate but we do lose. ~Cheri

I don't know that it really matters, so long as you take into account that alcohol metabolizes as sugar and is wasted calories. I think most surgeons say to avoid it because you're trying to lose weight and drinking too much alcohol can inhibit your loss. And yes, I do get drunk WAY faster than before. I mean, I don't even need to finish an entire drink! So be careful with that. And my tastes changed completely. I used to love beer and can't stand it now. ~Cheri

Best thing I used was generic Prilosec. I used two or three different things before I found one that did the trick. You need a PPI, not an antacid! You'll be in pain if you don't get the acid under control. ~Cheri

I went through the disgust with food, too. Basically, eating became a chore and one I completely hated. There were days when I would just skip two meals because the thought of eating repulsed me. But what you're dealing with are the head issues associated with your weight problem. Now that you know you're heading into surgery and being forced to control food (if only for a short time) it's no surprise that it's becoming more apparent. Immediately after surgery, sure, food can be totally repulsive. But do not go into this counting on that to be the mechanism that helps you overcome the initial problem. Because you will eventually be able to eat more. No, not your pre-surgery portions! However, your capacity at one year is markedly more than six months out. And a lot of us have a smaller increase in capacity sometime between 1.5 and 2 years out. I'll be two years out in July. Not only can I eat a lot more in a sitting but I can eat more frequently. I've said it before but it bears repeating: the sleeve will not let you eat half a pizza in a sitting but nothing is going to stop you from eating a cookie an hour for six hours straight. I can EASILY consume 1400-1700 calories a day if I nibble junk. I'm not lecturing to make you feel bad. I want you to know that you are not alone in this. We all have issues with food or we'd lose the weight the first time we walk into a Weight Watchers meeting. My suggestion is to take note of what is causing you to eat and of how you relate to food. Do you overeat because you like feeling stuffed? Is it because you're numbing emotions with food? Is it because you're afraid there won't be more food later? Figure it out. Work on it. Do the headwork or you'll be in trouble once you hit maintenance. Because the reality is that the sleeve WILL help you lose weight. But only you can keep the weight off and adopt the lifestyle changes you need to get to and remain at goal. Good luck! ~Cheri

A mix of both will be optimal - rotate what you do by day, or do a little of both each day. After surgery you'll find that if you aren't eating enough Protein and doing some strength training you'll lose muscle. Cardio (walking, running, etc.) is good for your heart and something you should do, but it my opinion (and you'll have others chime in with their opinions, too) it shouldn't be the focus of your exercise routine. It burns fat, yes. But so does a calorie deficit, which is what the sleeve is going to force you into. Combine the two without getting the nutritional needs met and you're going to lose muscle. So once you're sleeved I'd shift the focus primarily to a protein-heavy diet. I'm not saying low-carb it, I'm saying eat 80-90+ grams of protein a day after you're totally healed and can hit those goals. Then add in strength training to not only build your muscle but to be sure you aren't losing what you've got. Perhaps circuit training is what would make you happy? ~Cheri

No need to hunt! One of my favorite clothing sites is pinupgirlclothing.com. I'm sure you'll find this outfit on there! ~Cheri

I'm not single but I am a military spouse. At the time of my surgery my husband was gone for two to three weeks each month and working 14-16 hour days when he was home (which means he did ZERO of the caregiving). I was a stay at home mom and had two toddlers to chase all day, every day during the healing process. My twins were 2.5 years old when I had surgery. I had a few days where I was dragging and tired by six at night but it was fine. I got through it. The only issue would be if your child is still in a crib because you will not be comfortable leaning over like that. Lifting was hard but my two were old enough to understand I couldn't carry them for a while. You can do it. It might be tough but the end result is worth a few weeks where things are a little tougher than usual. I had to set a timer to remind me to feed my kids, though! Sounds silly but with no hunger and sipping on fluids all day I'd lose track of time and forget they needed lunch and dinner until just past the meal. My poor kiddos learned to remind me that they were hungry around mealtimes. ~Cheri

For me it was a little while - somewhere around six weeks, I think. I did move to my side after just a few weeks but with a body pillow supporting my stomach. I can't really explain how it feels after surgery but it's not comfortable to lie on your side and certainly not your stomach for a while. I learned how to sleep on my back, surprisingly. Now I'm mostly a back/side sleeper because of the brief period post op that I slept in a recliner. I was much more comfortable in the recliner than in the bed at first. ~Cheri

I'm 5'1" and some change and started at 242 pounds. I was in a snug 18/20 XXL prior to surgery. My first piece of advice won't be what you want to hear but you really shouldn't count on being a particular size or weight by a certain date. I assume you're trying to plan ahead and are worried about packing and planning your trip. I understand completely! Four months post op I moved from Germany to Kyrgyzstan but had an extended trip to the states in between. I lived out of suitcases for months and packing was a nightmare because I had no idea what would fit and for how long. All of that aside, you shouldn't have too much trouble. I felt great at about 3 months post op. I could eat, even though my portions were tiny. Bring Protein powder and a shaker cup with you! I dumped my big three pound tub into a baggie and taped the label from the container to the bag so that if I was inspected by TSA they wouldn't freak out. I'm so glad I did this because I needed my shakes and would have felt miserable for my entire trip if I hadn't been getting enough protein. Bring Protein Bars if you use them, because they help, too. With one shake a day you should be able to eat enough at that point to feel good and get enough nutrition. I also moved my trusty scale with me, too! I wanted to be able to track my progress without wondering if the scale was right or not. If your trip is longer than a few weeks you might want to do this, too. By three months out I had lost about 44 pounds. I didn't really change sizes until close to fifty pounds lost. Plus sizes have far more "give" to them than straight sizes - if I gain/lose five pounds now it completely changes the way my clothes fit. By four months out I was down into size 14...I kind of skimmed the 16s. I think I purged my wardrobe of 18/20s before the move and wore the 16s on my trip, even though they were still pretty snug at that point. Nobody here can really do more than tell you their own experience. Some people lose a ton of weight in the beginning and some lose much more slowly. How it will happen for you is completely up to your body and you won't have much control over the process. Good luck, ~Cheri

Yes, I was just physically drained. I felt exhausted by the end of the day and would look forward to bedtime only to realize it was only six at night! How quickly it fades for you depends on how easily you can get in your Protein shakes/liquids and how comfortable you are for sleeping. I had a few rough nights in my bed before realizing that I could get almost a full night of sleep in the recliner instead. Once I was sleeping at night and getting more protein in I felt better but in the beginning you are dealing with discomfort from surgery and a seriously decreased caloric intake which makes it hard to adjust. ~Cheri

It sounds like you're on the right track. You are not in denial about your eating habits prior to these life changes or about your addiction. That's a huge leap ahead of where most of us are when we're sleeved! It's all headwork. Your surgery is going to give you the opportunity to kick the addiction but if you don't do the headwork, well, it'll still be there two years post op and give you grief in maintenance. It's not what anyone wants to hear but it's absolutely true. I just finished a pretty good read about disordered eating called Beyond the Refrigerator: Navigating Life After Weight-Loss Surgery. While I didn't really learn many new things, I enjoyed the perspectives in the book. You might check it out from your local library. I also enjoyed Hungry: Lessons on the Journey from Fat to Thin, which focuses more on overeating and the way one man tackled the emotional side of the problem. The surgery makes it very easy to avoid foods in the beginning, especially if you lose your hunger like most of us do. But once you're a year out or close to two, like I am, it really becomes apparent if you're in a good place or not. My sleeve will stop me from eating half a pizza but it's not going to stop me from eating a cookie per hour or a tub of ice cream. So my advice is to keep on your current track and to also add in some counseling if you find you need the additional support once you're sleeved. The frustration and emotional upheaval once your coping mechanism is taken from you can be very difficult to overcome, and I speak from experience! Best of luck to you. I wish everyone that opted for this surgery prepared as well as you seem to be doing. Being overweight isn't a stomach problem that the surgery will solve - it's a head problem, and we need to face that head on if we want to beat it for good. ~Cheri

It's a trap we all fall into. Even the folks cheerleading here might feel the same exact way you do the first time they hit a prolonged stall. I had two nine week stalls during my journey and only lost about six pounds a month, on average. Slow loser, fast loser, so what?! It's hard to wrap your head around this right now because you're still so worried about failure. But the reality is that you are doing all of the right things. You WILL lose the weight. The problem is that you don't get to dictate how quickly it will happen! It took me 17 months to get to goal. During that time I learned so much about myself and my eating habits. I could complain all day about how long it took and how frustrating the journey was at times but the end result is exactly the same - I'm at goal and I have a normal BMI. It's hard to see the big picture now but it makes no difference how long it takes you to get there. What matters is that you keep with it until you do. I would not change a single thing in your diet or exercise regimen unless there is something you know needs to be changed. The reality is that lots of people limit their diet (in my opinion, excessively) and approach the sleeve like they would any other (failed) diet they've done in the past. THIS IS NOT A DIET. It is FOREVER. You need a reasonable way to eat and live or you're going to burn out and fall off track. If what you're doing is giving you results, albeit not as quickly as you'd like, then why would you change a single thing? Too many people come off of low-carbing and have a miserable time in maintenance (and some even during the loss phase) so I wouldn't restrict more than you're already doing, again, unless you know something we don't and do need to adjust. You are doing a fabulous job. We do not all lose at the same pace but if we do the right things, we all lose. You should be nicer to yourself, I think. You deserve respect and admiration for embracing a healthier lifestyle fresh out of the gate. ~Cheri

I self paid but had the funds to choose any doctor I wanted. I started with a list of three doctors, two stateside and one in Mexico. After doing months of research and reading testimonials and actually talking to all three offices via email and on the phone, I opted to go with Dr. Aceves in Mexico. I got "more bang for my buck" and a more experienced doctor. I got to spend several days in the hospital instead of being shuffled out after 23 hours. I had top notch care from an incredibly skilled and experienced surgeon. Frankly, I've seen more complications on these boards from the US doctors than the ones in Mexico in the three years I've been around! Sure, for some people it's price but the difference in price ISN'T that big when you go with Dr. Aceves. I paid $10K for my surgery and flights vs. the $14-17K I was quoted from the other two doctors. That wasn't enough of a difference for me to choose my surgeon solely based upon cost. But when it came down to post op care my doctor and his team won hands down. If I won a million dollars tomorrow I'd still take my mom and sister to Dr. Aceves over a different surgeon. And to answer your other question about insurance? NO WAY! Tricare still doesn't cover the sleeve and that means any doctor at a MTF doing this surgery might be experienced with bariatric surgery or laparoscopy but it's highly unlikely they're skilled with the sleeve. I know all doctors get their experience somewhere but for me this was a huge factor in my decision making process: number of sleeves vs. number of leaks. Dr. Aceves still has the best record on this front, too! ~Cheri

I meant to post this on the 15th but I had trouble logging into the site that day (and several days after that) and I didn't think about it again until today. I blame my Kyrgyz dial up internet! In any case, I was one year on 15 July. In that year I've lost 92 pounds. I've gone from a very snug 18 or 20 pant into a very comfortable size 8 or M. Women's sizing is insane, so sometimes I'm a 6 and sometimes I'm a 10, but regardless of the number on my pants I'm very happy with the way I look in my clothes now, and I have a large wardrobe of things I love to wear. Almost as exciting as losing the pounds is losing the diabetes. I had only been diagnosed 2 years before my surgery (I started as gestational diabetes) so I went into this fully expecting my blood sugars to be normal afterward and I wasn't disappointed. I'm still high-normal on my A1C, but that was six months ago...I haven't been tested since then. I hope to have a full lab panel done once we're settled here in our new home. I haven't taken a pill since the day before surgery (though I did require insulin several times 48 hours post op) and I've gotten so used to being normal that I don't even test my sugars any more. I'm no role model, so newbies looking for advice should look to some of the more active posters here that stick to a program and actually exercise. I lived out suitcases in my in-law's house for the last nine months due to a PCS from hell, so my eating and exercise habits have been erratic. I've pretty much been living as if I'm in maintenance for the last six months. Don't get me wrong - I don't live on a junk food, carb crazy diet. But I eat more like a "normal" person. I'll have several days where I stick to Protein first and drink lots of Water, but then I'll also have days where I eat pretty much whatever I want (but in small portions). I have maintained a slow but steady loss the entire time I've been sleeved and I weigh every day. I'm always watching for my weight to bounce up, but it never does more than that one or two pounds of fluctuation I see daily. I'm between 149-151 and I expect to stay there for several weeks. My pattern has always been a sudden drop (lately around three to five pounds) followed by three weeks or so at the same weight. I can't tie my losses to my diet - and I don't consider myself "done" yet. I'm sure that over the next six months or so I'll continue to see a slow but steady loss. Plastic surgery is in my future. I probably have more loose skin than most people that have lost less than 100 pounds since surgery. I had twins in 2007 and weighed 280ish after they were born. My skin has pretty much melted and I look a mess underneath my clothes. Thank heavens for the various brands of shapewear I've purchased. I wear them under everything. I plan to have plastics when we're back in the states in 2013, so my hope is that I'll get some exercise into my routine and see a little bounce back from my skin. I don't expect much, though. It's really bad. Underneath all that excess skin (with the occasional stubborn fat deposit) is a genuinely thin woman. I'll be honest - I think my goal weight might be a little low. I went based on the BMI chart and chose the most I could weigh at my height and be "normal" on the chart. But underneath all this skin I am bones and I don't really know where the additional 15 pounds will come from - unless it's my upper arms and thighs. They don't seem to be as small as the rest of me yet! I'm worried that if I lose 15 more pounds and then have plastics, I'll look like a bony scarecrow. My husband is happier that I'm happier but he's not so happy with my thinner body. He likes heavier women and was far happier with my body about 20 pounds ago. I'm sure he'll adjust in time, but it is a real obstacle for some couples. His opinion is that I should scrap the goal weight and focus on getting in shape for plastics and take whatever number I wind up with after plastics as my final weight. However, this is the man that thought I was sexy and attractive 37 weeks pregnant with twins, so I understand that he's trying to make sure I don't wind up with a figure he finds totally unattractive. I'm glad we had a solid marriage before surgery, or this might have caused some real issues for us. My only "I wish I'd known that" issue with surgery is the lactose intolerance. I had no idea I would be so crippled by this - and now that I'm overseas I don't exactly have a local store with almond, coconut and soy milk around the corner. I can eat small portions of hard cheese but yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, ice cream, sour cream, cream cheese, most protein powders, etc. are all completely out for me. It's very limiting but I'm surviving. Luckily I'm living in the land of grilled meat, grilled vegetables and flatbread so it's less of an issue here. And as a note for those military spouses - consider that your VSG might make you EFMP for an overseas tour. I did not disclose mine to the doctor that cleared us to live overseas, and due to the typical shoddy Tricare record-keeping nobody realized I'd had it done. But I was specifically asked if I had a band or bypass, and I was able to honestly answer no to that. Tricare finds the oddest reasons to consider families EFMP - speech therapy, diabetes, allergies, etc., so I'd be sure to ask the necessary questions about this if it could affect you. My husband's job has kept us overseas 5 years out of the last 7, so for us it could turn out to be a real issue, especially with the remote assignments we take. I'm just putting that out there, though it's not likely to affect but a small percentage of the military posters here. Best of luck to everyone. I don't post much anymore because like so many I'm just out here living my life now. But I wanted to give an update because I loved reading the one year stories when I was researching. They gave me something to hope for and I feel that if I can lose more than 90 pounds in a year of not really taking this sleeve as seriously as I should have, than barring medical complications, you should be able to meet or exceed that goal with no problem. Pictures attached. The first two are from one month prior to surgery and the last one is from a week ago. Please excuse my messy hair and worn out expression - I'm jet lagged and our transformer blew so I'm without the luxury of a blow dryer or straightening iron! ~Cheri

Both chicken and tortilla can be trouble foods for some folks. Tortillas are a no-go for me even now. I hate not knowing if just one more tiny bite is going to be the one that puts me in pain! I'd stick with Soup at this point, but that's because my surgeon had a strict post op diet. A really flavorful, rich soup like something you'd get at Red Lobster could work but you could find a good soup just about anywhere. Maybe a tiny nibble here and there of something soft from your husband's plate and a spoon of a soft dessert for good measure. Everything in moderation! Just take it easy and don't get frustrated if you find you can't eat more than a few bites. Enjoy yourself, and Happy Anniversary! ~Cheri