GeorgieGirl1957

Anna, OMG you are doing soooo well! I just noticed your BMI and total wt loss...you are almost at the century mark!! Sooo cool! I'm very excited for you! Looking foward to joining you there! GG

I forgot to mention that the a special advertised on bands was what took me to the WLS seminar in the first place. I didn't even listen to the whole speech from Dr. Husted (who was my original doctor). But luckily my husband paid attention. After the seminar, chatting with Dr. Husted, I learned I was not a candidate for the band and went home broken hearted. My husband started talking about the sleeve. Then I started thinking about it and was afraid I wouldn't lose enough (I am a heavy weight) and started researching the DS. But the thought of having my guts rerouted and all the food restrictions and gas, bad odors if you eat the wrong thing, diahrrea, dumping, etc...made me reconsider it. So, I finally made peace with the idea of the sleeve. Once I made up my mind, I couldn't get it done fast enough (I also had a tight window of time that I had to get it done in) and Dr. Husted was new in town and couldn't get privileges at the hospital. Because I am a private pay, his price was prohibitive too. I couldn't raise enough cash in my time frame. A friend put me in touch with Dr. Aceves in Mexicali and I ended up going to him for my surgery, for 40% of the price and he is every bit the awesome surgeon that Dr. Husted is. It was wonderful. I have had virtually no problems, I am 6 weeks out and on a regular diet now. Still losing, though not as fast as the first 4 post op weeks. GERD is gone, and I have no regrets. But it is a permanent solution to a problem that has haunted me for nearly 30 years. I just didn't want to keep the yo yo going anymore. The thing I like best is that I am always satisfied after eating. Maybe my tongue might want more, but my stomach is sated, and on just a little bit. Some things I can eat a little more of, some things less, but usual dinner is 4-6 ounces of food. I'm pretty much full on the Protein, but I also try to get some produce in as well, when I can. The only thing I had to "give up" was soda. And that was no great sacrifice as I mostly drink Water and iced tea my whole life. My once or twice a month coke was easy to walk away from. And for the first time in my life I feel like I am in control. My only regret is that it didn't exist 20 years ago. It's safe, not too painful (much less than my gall bladder surgery was 7 years ago) and PERMANENT. My permanent quality of life is the best part. GG

My surgery was delayed to due surgeon's privileges issues, so I was on a diet for 4 months. My GERD went away when I lost 30 lbs. I lost a total of 40 preop and have lost another 30 in the 6 weeks since surgery. No sign of the GERD and for a few more months I will be on Nexium. But I feel great!!! Really happy with my sleeve, and my fully functioning stomach with nothing rerouted anywhere. It's just small, which restricts the AMOUNT I can eat, but not the variety. Getting past the liquids diet is probably the toughest thing, but even that is not bad. I too live in Phoenix. Send me a PM if you want to chat privately. GG

Hey Cheri, I am closing in on twoderville so I understand your excitement about onederland!!! Congrats!!! I am so excited about being this close for the first time in 7 years. I cannot even imagine getting to onederland. It will be about 25 years for me since then. I am with you, with each pound lost my face looks better and my breasts look worse. Bat wings are already a problem, so if you find a solution, please let me know. I feel for you on your cycles...mine were always hellish when I had them, but I had a hyst 8 years ago and I have to say I am really glad to not be going thru that right now, too. Isn't it so very cool that for the first time in our lives, we have a tool that will make maintenance finally work for us! Instead of watching the regain! I am so excited. gg

OK, I am freaking out a little bit...please humor me. I started worrying that because I lost 40 lbs in the 4 months before surgery, and 27 lbs since surgery that maybe I won't keep losing since I still have about 140 more lbs to lose. I really don't have any logical reason for thinking this way, just old ghosts dancing in my head I guess. I am interested in other heavy weights out there that might have been in my shoes. I am almost 5'10" tall. Was 380 before I started cutting back on white carbs and looking into the sleeve. Now I am 313, closing in on Twoderville and for some reason having those dreams again that this just won't work. I am feeling great and have no regrets, just irrational fears? I am eating only Protein food. About 20gm of carbs a day and lots of Water. Not cheating. Exercise in pool and elliptical. With so much still to lose, and a good chunk down pre op, do you think my chances of getting to 170 are good? I probably shouldn't be spaz'ing over this, but I am. If you can relate, please talk me down. :001_smile: thanks, gg

You're doing great and you're going to zoom downward when you finally get to exercise. I had the same fears as I am one of the larger folks here, too. But things are happening. Even when the scale doesn't move, I am experiencing the same kind of clothing surprises even when I think I am not losing. My friends who have been there and done that say it's completely normal, albeit, weird. GG

Oh, btw, I also took unflavored protein powder and mixed it in with my sugar free puddings. That helped get extra prots in too. And the choc fudge flavor will hide the taste of the unflavored (not tasteless) protein. gg

One thing that helped me during the mushies (and don't laugh) was a 3 oz jar of pureed baby food chicken. There is a lot of Protein in there and you can mix it in Soups, refried Beans, or basically anything else. I would watch the mashed potatoes...those carbs will add up and prevent your fat buring machine from running right. I would skip the pots and add another shake. Most docs prefer 60-70 gms per day. Funny thing too, if you get enough protein you will lose. If you don't, you won't. That ol' starvation mode thing gets in the way if your body starts thinking it's not getting what it needs. Try it...see what you get. Everybody's different of course, so remember that too when we give each other advice here. What works for one, might not for another. Just my two cents... GG

I buy the powdered vits at costco...called EcoDrink. They come in 2 flavors to the box, orange and berry and they are pretty tasty. Of course, the colder the better. You mix them in your Water bottle and sip away. You get your water and your vits at the same time. They even throw in a water bottle to mix them in, but I just add them to my SmartWater, which gives me the extra electrolytes and keeps the leg cramps at bay. No choking. I also get chewable calcium. The choc flavored ones are like dessert. LOL. GG

Hey Two Steps, This is truly a metabolic problem we have, not a character flaw. Did you know the stats on someone getting to goal and having more than 100 lbs to lose only has a 4% chance of keeping it off for 5 years??? The odds were very much against you getting to goal without this great tool. You ARE doing this on your own. No one had the surgery for you. No one is eating that Spartan diet for you. No one is taking on your pain or the other things we get to feel as we heal. This was certainly not the easy way out of a lifetime of health issues, but it IS a way out. and you are taking proactive steps to make the rest of your life and that of your future children, healthier. I am 53. If I had to do all over again, would I have? Absolutely!! My only regret is that I didn't do it 20 years ago. Of course, I couldn't since I just learned of the sleeve this year. And I didn't know that I was going to spend 30 years battling my weight and losing the war miserably. I envy you getting to healthy YOUNGER. And you will always have the tool to help you stay there. You are doing great!!! Congratulations and keep up the good work. Never regret what you have done to help yourself and your future family. Remember once you are back to great health you will make a concerted effort to keep your future kids healthy too. And they will have a GREAT role model. They will learn to eat to live, not live to eat. And that's all they will know! I have two kids your age who are fighting the weight war too. Of course, they haven't had as long to get as large as I did. I only hope they don't get to that point. But, if they do, I will urge them to not wait as long as I did to do something drastic. How brave of you to take that bull by the horns and deal with it definitively as you did. I commend you! GG

I know...I just need to settle my butt down and not worry. Trust that I am doing everything right and that it will happen as it is supposed to. Side note: my hairdresser was impressed with my hair today when she cut it. Said she was surprised that I haven't lost any yet. (knocking on my head right now). I told her I wasn't four months out yet, at which time she reminded me that i have been on a diet since April. Hoping to hang onto as much as possible because it's already pretty thin. GG

Well, if I bother to tell someone about my surgery, I will tell them where. And I give them all the information, like how I went down there prior to check them out and spoke with 2 of the docs and the nurses, toured the hospital and the time they spent with me, answering my questions (and I had a million). Then I tell them about my research and my doc's great stats and how clean the hospital is. And then I tell them about how quickly and competently they handled my complication (which was not their fault). And then I tell them what I paid. By the time I am done singing Dr Aceves' & co's praises, they all realize I did the best thing. And I have had people ask me for the information. I could sell Dr. Aceves' surgeries GG

Congrats Butterfly! May the two of you be healthy and happy and live a long live in your soon to be new bodies! I am a month ahead of you and continue to be amazed at how fast the weight is coming off. I went to a networking event last night and people who hadn't seen me in 6 months were all falling all over in shock and telling me how great I look! And I still have a long way to go, but was very happy to hear it anyway. HaHa! GG

Well thanks Ms Jenn for your note! I do fret a bit. I guess it's old ghosts of diets past, that either didn't work, or I regained it all. Sometimes I think my body will just get used to 700 cal a day and just go with it. I don't know. Irrational fears...I know. I need to not stress about it. g

I am so excited and wanted to share...when my diet started in April, I had a BMI of 55. I am now down 67# (27 since being sleeved on 8/12) and my BMI is 45. I know 45 is still higher than most people on here, but I am sooooo excited to be on the road to better health. AND...14 more lbs to TWODERVILLE!!! That will be so exciting. My husband I are so excited to be headed toward the 100# mark. The BMI change is such motivation I can't begin to describe the feeling. It has really been a great journey with just a few bumps along the way. Totally worth all of it, anyway. I still have no regrets. If I have any cravings (and I have a few cravings for pizza lately) I just tell myself I can have some later on down the road, and the craving goes away. :001_tongue: Incidentally, by the time I get 60-70 gm of Protein in every day, I don't really have much room for anything other than a few blueberries. But next Sunday is my birthday and we've got reservations at one of my fav restaurants. We have plans to share a meal. I suspect a little meat and I will done, but oh well!!! The results are so worth the journey. If you are considering the sleeve, and waffling about it, the only thing different is you cannot eat as much. But who needs all that much anyway? That's what got us to here. And I don't wanna go back. :drool: Ever. GG

I like Pure Protein from Target. 25 gm in 12 oz, goes down easy, tastes good. I buy the frosty chocolate and the vanilla is ok too. Coupons on line are $1.00 off each. For a good size tub of the powder, I pay about 17.99 without the coupon. They last a couple weeks drinking twice a day. I didn't care for the Bariatric Advantage mix at all. I know some people don't like products hawked by the biggest loser, but truly I was drinking them on my diet months before surgery and I never watched the biggest loser, so I wasn't aware. Anyway, they taste good. GG

Thanks everybody! Yes, it is so cool to any and all numbers going down. While it's so cool to see the lbs coming off the scale, the BMI is the overall health indicator and that is so important to me, too, considering that's what they base denial of insurance coverage on. I have another 38# to go to hit 40 BMI and I will be at the "Super Obese" range rather than the morbidly obese. Every little bit gets me closer to healthy. I want to hit "Obese" by Christmas. GG

I haven't been using milk in my Protein shakes. I kinda got used to them with Water on the preop diet and have been using water every day. So, I get two shakes in a day plus 2 regular meals and a snack or two. I usually get 60-70 gm every day. I don't have room for much else, but I am happy with my progress....and AMAZED!!! Watching the scale go down almost a lb every day is incredible. My stall lasted 2.5 days. That was a thrill! I expected it to last longer. My issue is exercise, my loss hasn't been dramatic enough yet to make my feet stop hurting, so I do a lot in the pool. I have neuropathy in my arms and legs. Of course, the water is getting cooler now as it cools off here...so I am also doing a few minutes on the elliptical. My heart rate gets too high too fast on that. I cannot believe how badly out of shape I got the last couple of years. So, I am taking it easy on the exercise. Not doing a lot, but not just sitting around either. I notice that staying on mostly protein is keeping me ketotic. Which is good!!! That keeps me losing, but my breath is like a garbage can. Ewww.... GG

CLK, I couldn't have said it better myself! I always have said, instead of cutting out most of my stomach, they should be slicing and dicing my tongue!!! I have and always will be a foodie. I don't pig out on junk, but I like high calorie, fattening rich gourmet foods. I ate too much and I ate too fast. I can no longer eat too much, but speed is still something I am working on. Portion control and speed are two things this tool really helps with. When I crave something I just tell myself, "you can have it, just not now. And not a lot." But I don't feel deprived of anything really. And I am getting my health and my life back. GG

Before I started on my wt loss journey I had to take nexium in the morning and zantac at bedtime or sometimes even after dinner because it was painful before I got to bedtime. Now I am on 20mg Nexium in the mornings. Sometimes I forget to take it and I don't really notice a difference. But I never had a lap band either. I hear it's a different experience if you've ever had a lap band. I'll be glad to leave the nexium. Those darned things sure are expensive and I am uninsured. So, I get them from a connection in Mexico. Next week I am getting a new supply, 40mg mups I can cut in half. 14 of those = $33. Which will buy me 4 weeks of 20mg every morning. I figure by December, I won't need them anymore. Crossing my fingers... GG

Thanks SG! How are you feeling? Better now, I hope. Feel free to call me when you're up to it. Or if you need encouragement. I can be a great cheerleader! gg

I have not looked back since the day I decided to do it. I didn't have the "OMG, what am I doing" worries in the pre-op hospital bed, nor the regrets afterward. I KNOW my LIFE depends on this. I want to be around for my grandkids and my awesome husband who has been a gem on this journey, encouraging and supporting me every step of the way. And for another 30 reasons, mostly health related. My life truly does depend on my success this time. Probably the worst thing was the liquids in, liquids out. Now on softies, the problem is resolved. I will say prior to surgery, I did have those same nightmares that I would be the only one to fail at this. I would wake up believing I had the surgery and never lost a pound. We have been so unsuccessful so many times before, that this offers enough hope to mess with our heads. I am 4 weeks post op today and have lost 25 lbs post op. With the 40 pre-op (over a period of 4 months) I have lost a grand total of 65. The sad fact is I have another 150 to go. Of course, when I get within spitting distance of losing another 130, I will be thrilled. I do feel for the first time in my life I am in control and have the tool to be successful this time. Down 65 and only lost a size and a half. That is because I am close to 6' tall and can pack and hide a bunch of weight. I am really surprised how the food goes down pretty easily. I will be happier when my stomach nerves are back to normal and can help me to "feel" the limits of fullness. Right now, I have to measure everything because while I don't really have hunger, I don't feel full either, until about 1/2 hour after I eat. I am easily getting 60 - 70 gm of prots, and 2 to 3 litres of Water per day. And I feel really well. Still no hunger, no nausea, no reflux, and no regrets! GG

Ditto. I have lost 65 lbs since April (sleeved 8/12) I started out a 32, and am now hovering between 28 and 30 depending on the cut. Seems to take forever at the higher weights. But, for the first time in my life I am hopeful that this will help me get to goal and stay there. gg

Hey, Maybe we can go together for our 3 month check! gg

Well, like I said, going to softies helped but yesterday I had to eat some blueberries to get the pipeline moving again. Things got a little bound up after a couple days of meats. But, it was soooo much better than diahrrea all the time. Really, it will pass. It just feels like it won't. gg