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I agree with all the above. The 3 week stall is almost inevitable...everyone thinks it won't happen to them, and it does. And remember, stalls are pretty much inevitable as well. There will be times where you will lose tons, there will be times where you stall. If you are doing what your are suppose to be doing, the stall will pass and you will start losing again. That being said, a stall is a great way to re-evaluate what you are doing...making sure you are getting in all your water and protein, being active...have you slide into old habits. It is important to always keep yourself in check...it is really easy to fall into old habits (been there!), but it is also so much easier to get back on track with the sleeve.

I am almost 2 years post op, and, like what others say, I just feel full (on much less). I am still surprised at how little I eat most of the time this far out. It is of course more than in the beginning, but I still have great capacity. If I eat too much, which doesn't happen very often, I have one of the following: a-if I am just a little over full, I burp like crazy...like big manly burps...I could out-belch anyone! b-if I really over do it, which does not hardly ever happen, but it happens...it hurts, bad. And yes, sometimes I throw up. But that is from overeating, and has nothing to do with the restriction of the sleeve. I described it to my husband as this...imagine Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner...when you would eat so much it physically hurt...that is what it feels like if I eat too much, but my too much is usually 1 or 2 bites too many. You learn pretty quickly what your limits are and how much you can eat. Just make sure to listen to your body!

I would wait for a long time. I am not sure how far out of surgery you are, but, trust me, the carbonation is killer. I am almost 2 years post op and I only have the occasional sip if my hubby has ordered some when we go out to eat. Even this far out, I can only have a couple of sips. Any more, and my tummy hurts or I get heartburn from it.

Wow, you don't even look like the same person! Congratulations! And congratulations to all of you!

I am going to try this, hopefully it works! I had my sleeve surgery November 29th, 2010. The first pictures are at my highest when I got married (I love my husband, he has loved me no matter what size!), around 260ish lbs. The second are the day of my surgery, 220ish lbs. The last pictures are at my current weight, 135-137lbs (I LOVE my hormones, I LOVE my hormones). There are 2 standing in my old jeans and I fit in 1 leg (1 is me AND my daughter in my jeans). There is also a picture of my biggest jeans (size 22), and my new jeans (size 4..I wear a size 4-6). I never dreamed I would ever be this size or weigh in the 130's. I honestly never thought I would even reach goal because I had tried and failed so many times in my life. I hope these pictures are inspiration that, if you let it, the sleeve is an amazing tool! And I hope it inspires the slower losers too! It took me 18 months to reach my goal weight of 140lbs, and I have even lost a few more pounds in the last couple of months. So don't get discouraged if you don't lose all your weight in the first 6 months. If you make the changes you need to make to have a healthy life, it will happen!

Thank you so much! And I didn't reach goal until 18 months post op, and have lost a few more pounds since then, not changing anything I have been doing! I can see by your ticker you are almost there, so a big congratulations on that accomplishment!

Thank you so much. I was happy on my wedding day, and I felt good. Even when I looked at the pictures afterward, I liked many of them. It was the one day that I wasn't going to let my weight get me down!

ALLELUIA!! This is what I have done and try to get across the point to others! I am not saying go back to your old eating habits, you will never succeed if you don't change what you eat. But you have to be realistic. I know that I can not go the rest of my life without ever eating a little bit of ice cream or some chocolate. The key, like you said, is moderation and a healthy lifestyle. Something you can live with for the rest of your life. And to get away from the guilt and shame that we put ourselves through. I have found, with the sleeve, tomorrow really is a new day! Oh, and Globetrotter, I think you are gorgeous! You have done amazing and look great!

Maybe try something else with splenda (the natural have Stevia, right?). I know MIO is made with splenda, could give it a try and see how it sits. That seems really strange that it is only crystal light and nothing else. Like I said, early post op, sometimes cold drinks can hurt or not sit well, I know a lot of people that had to drink their drinks at room temperature or even warm. Other than that, I am stumped.

Is it cold?? Is it only crystal light, or is it everything?? I really didn't have too much trouble after surgery, but anything really cold hurt my stomach. You could try it room temperature, or maybe mix it a little weaker?? Have you had trouble before...maybe sensitive to aspartame??

I am glad that you are planning on stopping. I have nothing against it for occasional recreational use, I don't think it is much different than alcohol in that sense. But I was curious when you posted this, so I just did a little searching, and, like tobacco, it can slow the healing process which can result in complications. Good Luck with your surgery.

I know people that got all their Protein in and took every supplement they could and still lost hair. I always had all my protein and took tons of Vitamins (I still take tons of vitamins), and lost a lot of hair. It just really depends on each person and how their body reacts to the surgery. I am active, but I do not "work-out". I have done some running and ran a 5K on my 1 year anniversary of my surgery. I have 2 young children and I am a stay at home mom, so I sometimes find it hard to fit it in my day. I do take my kids on lots of walks and bike rides, swimming, and outdoor activities.

I lost the first 55lbs in the first 6 months, and then the next 25lbs to goal took another year, so please don't get discouraged anyone. If you make the changes and adopt a healthy lifestyle, I am a firm believer in that the weight will come off!

Thank you so much everyone! I when I look back at my wedding pictures, I barely recognize myself. I was showing them to my daughter (she is almost 3), and she said "there is daddy". I asked, "Who is that?" pointing to myself, and she didn't know. It does make me sad looking at my wedding pictures and I was the biggest I had ever been, but so thankful that I am not at that point anymore.

I do have loose skin, I did post about it just above. I lost a lot of hair, starting at about 3 months. That is part of the reason I have short hair. It was falling out so bad in the shower that I was piling it up on the edge and then throwing in the garbage. I as so upset that I thought I would notice it less with short hair. But, it all came back and I never went bald! Back at the time I did my pre-op, it was only 3 days. Now the program with the same surgeon is a minimum of 2 weeks and increases with BMI. So I really don't have any good pre-op suggestions. However, after the surgery, take the first 6 months to really entrench new habits. To be honest, I never tracked anything. I didn't want it to feel like another diet. I changed a lot of my eating habits, and I now eat a very healthy, balanced diet. I made changes that I knew I could live with for the rest of my life. Good Luck on your upcoming surgery. I am so happy that I took the risk.

Sorry, actually no tight skin here. I want to get a tummy tuck, breast lift with possible implants, and maybe a arm lift. It is amazing what clothes will hide, so I hate to disappoint you. I have been overweight since Kindergarten and have 2 children, and my skin really did not bounce back. To be honest, I think there are so many variables that come into play with skin, it really depends on the person.

I use it as a wrap substitute all the time. So put your meat (I sometimes use turkey breast slices or ham slices), your veggies, and a little seasoning in the middle of the lettuce leaf and then roll it up. I have made a Thai wrap with chicken, peppers, onions, julienned carrots and a little thai sauce...YUM! Let the leaves warm up at room temperature and they will be easier to roll. I am not very good a rolling them up, so mine are a little messy, but still taste good and I don't miss the bread at all! I know people have used them in place of taco shells too, just spoon your taco mix into the middle.

I think every surgeon's suggestions are a little different. Mine was 15 minutes before and 30 minutes afterward.

I ALWAYS drank with my meals. When I had my surgery, my facilitator told me a couple of things that helped. The first thing is, eating with a meal could make you throw up. Since this was the last thing that I wanted, especially earlier, it helped keep me focused. The other thing was an analogy. Think of a clogged sink, what do you do to try and clean it out...you rinse with water. Drinking with meals has the same effect, it helps the food move through faster, increasing the likely-hood that you won't feel as full for as long. It was a hard thing to get used to, but know I don't even thing about it. The odd time I might have a few sips, especially if something is ****y or dry, but I have kicked the habit. Also, it can hurt if you drink and eat at the same time, so that is another thing to remember. It is hard to create new habits, but just keep at it, and it will become second nature!

I think this is a great alternative. It always erks me when people come and tell you how bad your recipe is. If you don't like it, pass it over. And I agree...I was actually told that although there can be some stretch, the amount is very little because the portion of the stomach that is left behind is the most muscular part of the stomach. However, the gas can cause discomfort like you noted.

Have you ever had an endoscopy done?? I know someone that was having similar issue. Ended up being that her sleeve was made too tight on the bottom and food would get stuck (like a log jam!) and then come back up.

You are as cute as a button! I love your smile! (I know you might hate the word "cute"...I know, that is what I get all the time!), but I just couldn't help but smile at your pretty smile!

I do, and I LOVE it!! I have been told I look like a teenager...although I know that is a little far fetched. By I did get ID'd buying a lottery ticket the other day (I'm 33). The clerk apologize after seeing my ID, but I told him not to worry, I took it as a compliment! Frankly, it made my day!!

It is important to stick with the diet your surgeon gave you. It is not fun, but it is to help your stomach heal and lessen the likely hood of a leak (of course it helps with the weight loss, but not really the intended purpose). Once you start on mushies, it will start to get easier. It is important to take this time early out to change your habits and adapt a healthy lifestyle, but it does not mean you will never get to eat normal foods again. It is true that some foods are more well tolerated, and some take a lot longer to get used to than others and you will find out what works for you. I am now 20 months out, and the first few months feel like a distant memory now. Hang in there, it gets better, promise!

I am almost 2 years post op and still have great restriction and I am actually amazed some days. It is an adjustment and it does take some getting used to, but after a while it becomes second nature and you really know how much you can eat. Congratulations on your new sleeve!