claudia

I was sleeved mid-December 2010. I've lost 114 pounds so far.

I still have a lot of weight to lose, but I'm starting to notice more attention from men and also that women are much kinder to me now. Sometimes I miss the invisibility cloak of fat, and I'm a little apprehensive about getting more attention as I get smaller. Skeevy men are so offputting. I also feel uncomfortable with the attention/commentary I receive now. It's like you're up for grabs when you've lost weight: everyone feels entitled to advise and question you. Someone told me yesterday that 'OMG, you are totally smaller?! Where are you going?!' and then made this crazy gesture and looked behind me and all around like I wasn't really there. She said it really loudly in a shop and I just don't want to feel totally scrutinised and examined in public. It does depend on my mood though - some days the comments elevate me and some days I'm irritated by them. I get comments on my lunch, my clothes and my hair from my colleagues - it's like someone has taken a highlight pen and marked me now and I'm uber-visible. The poster who said earlier that she's paranoid she's got a button open or something - wow, that really resonated with me. I keep thinking things like that - checking my buttons and zippers to make sure I'm not exposed when people stare at me. Ahh, that's enough complaining for today! I do feel wonderful - it's just these conflicting feelings are overwhelming sometimes. It's nice to know this is a shared experience.

starting weight....219 current weight....216 goal weight........194 pounds to go......22 Yay - 3 pound loss this week!

starting weight....308 current weight....219 goal weight........194 pounds to go......25 late to join this challenge as I've been on holiday. Good luck all!

No loss this week, unfortunately. My loss has been snail pace lately...

...................Starting Wt.....Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal claudia...............242.................225.............218.............7 1 pound loss again this week...I'm still trying to stay positive and hope I'll make my goal, but it's getting tight now! All the best everyone.

I've lost just over 80 pounds and i'm 6 months out. I've hit a rough patch this last few weeks - loss slowing right down. It's strange because I've been amping up the exercise. I have been on some medication lately that causes you to retain Water though so I'm hoping I don't slow down for long. Don't get discouraged - focus on the future and good luck

...................Starting Wt.....Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal claudia...............242.................226.............218.............8 1 pound loss this week...I'm really hoping I make my goal. Keep going everyone!

...................Starting Wt.....Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal claudia...............242.................228.............218.............10 i had a stall last week and a one pound loss this week. TTOM and out of action with the flu. This week I'm going to smash it - I'm feeling fantastic and it feels good to be more than half way towards my final goal. I went for an hour long walk/run this morning and I actually started crying during it because I felt so overwhelmingly happy about how far I've come and how much energy I have now. All the best everyone. Great to read all the succeses in this thread.

newmetolive4 - all the best. Try to get back to basics: Protein first, lots of Water. Good luck.

...................Starting Wt.....Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal claudia...............242.................229.............218.............11 4 pound loss this week. i'm happy with my progress lately - i thought my loss was slowing down a little, but it seems i've hit a good streak again. good luck everyone

Irene, I hope you're feeling better now. When you have down days please remember you're an inspiration! Since I've joined this site I've seen your posts and been so impressed with your progress, positivity and how helpful you are to other posters. I've been having some down days lately - mainly because I feel so impatient - I want the weight gone now...! One of the things that helps me stay in check is reading posts from those further along on their journey such as yourself - so, thank you. Take care.

...................Starting Wt.....Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal claudia...............242.................233.............218.............15 5 pound loss this week - i'm ecstatic :heart: .....!!

Gabrielle, I'm so sorry to hear of the awful complications you have experienced. It sounds like you've been through a terrifying ordeal. I hope you're feeling much better soon and that you can put all of this behind you. Take care and keep us updated on your health. :rose:

At five days out you should still be taking it very easy. I was in hospital for four days after my surgery (in Australia we are required to have a longer hospital stay). Leave the laundry/chores until you're feeling better. If you want some exercise take a gentle walk. Watch movies, read books - occupy yourself so you're not feeling as bored. Your body has been through a significant trauma. The liquid/mushy part of the diet is annoying and it feels like it will last forever. Hang in there and follow your surgeon's instructions - it will be worth it in the end. Take a look at the success stories section of this site - it's very motivating. Take care and good luck!

Hi, I had the same problem for around the first two months post-surgery. I had bad breakouts around TTOM. One thing that helped me is taking zinc supplements. Zinc is good for the skin. I'm happy to say my skin is beautifully clear now so in my experience at least it wasn't something permanent. Good luck.

for the first time in my life i feel like i'm in control of my body now, rather than it controlling me.

...................Starting Wt.....Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal claudia...............242.................238.............218.............20 weigh-in today...pleased with the result - i'm on track for my goal best of luck all.

...................Starting Wt.....Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal claudia...............242.................240.............218.............22 my weigh in day is saturday. i'm super happy with my loss this week. good luck all!

Hi Writergirl, the sleeve has totally changed my relationship with food. I use food as an energy source now, not as an emotional crutch or a distraction. I used to be a kind of bingey, emotional eater and the sleeve just won't let me do that now. Here are some of the fears that I had before I had my surgery: - I'll be the one person who doesn't lose any weight with the sleeve or regains it all. - I'll die, get an infection or leak, or need to have an open surgery instead of laproscopic. - I'll be a big flabby mess when I'm done losing. - I won't enjoy food anymore. - I could have done it without the surgery, so it's a waste of money. Well, now I'm four months out and I can say that none of these fears materialised for me. The sleeve is like a safety net. Even if you feel a bit bingey - it just won't let you screw up that bad. I have had one instance since my surgery where I felt like eating chocolate (TTOM). I ate a few pieces and I felt so full and sickly that I didn't have any dinner that night - so my calories for that day were actually lower than if I'd just stuck to my plan that day. I can also say hand on heart that I couldn't have come this far this quickly without the sleeve. This is the most I've ever lost in one go without having little gains/slip-ups. Of course all surgeries have risks, but it sounds like the health risks for you to stay as you are and keep struggling are significant too. It's up to you to weigh your options up. Read forums, research, see a therapist and don't rush your decision. All the best Claudia

I'm around four months out and I don't experience hunger as such, but I do get a kind of empty/gurgly feeling sometimes, which tells me I need to eat. I do have head hunger/cravings sometimes though - particularly around TTOM or if I'm feeling down. I need to keep those in check.

Hi all, I'm 29 and I was sleeved in mid-December 2010. So far I've lost 70 pounds. I'm about half-way to my goal. One of the reasons why I chose the sleeve was because I was tired of being overweight in my 20s...I wanted to experience everything that your 20s/30s has to offer - instead of feeling sluggish and embarrassed about my weight. For those above worried about the surgery itself - I had a good experience. I was in some pain and discomfort in hospital and I found it difficult to sleep. The surgery itself went fine. I stayed in hospital for 4 days (I was sleeved in Australia where you are required to stay in a few days rather than overnight). Once I was home I found the biggest annoyance was getting through the liquids/mushies - that has probably been the most difficult part of the whole journey. I was back at work after around 2.5 weeks. I'm starting to feel fantastic and my successes are encouraging me to keep going and really be strict about my Protein intake etc and up my exercise. I haven't noticed any skin issues so far...fingers crossed it stays that way. Since I started my pre-op diet up until now I've only had one stall, which lasted two weeks. I was eating too many carbs those weeks so I know why I stalled. I broke the stall the following week in a big way and ended up with a huge loss that week. So, if you do stall - just try to stay positive and be strict with your exercise, protein/water intake - it will pay off eventually. Hope that answers some questions for you guys waiting for your surgery. Good luck all!

...................Starting Wt.....Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal claudia...............242.................242.............218.............24

I'm 29 - just sleeved in Dec 2010. The sleeve is my 30th birthday gift to myself. I'm hoping I'll be feeling amazing when I turn 30 (around 10 months time).