redayh

Hi all, I'm new here and I noticed that mostly everyone was a pretty new sleever. I thought since I'm three years out, I could answer some questions about long term results, etc. Also, I noticed a thread about African-American sleevers. I'm that too, so if you have any questions that are culturally specific I can answer those too. Here are my specifics: Surgery Date Weight : 335 lbs Current Weight : 185 lbs (which I've been maintaining for at least 1.5 years with absolutely no trouble). Height: 5'8" Sizes : 10 on the bottom (sometimes 12 in jeans), 6 on the top. Measurements: 35 x 27x 45 (Yeah, I know). Ask me anything.

I'm happy for you too! I don't take vitamins. I am completely non-compliant with that sort of thing, which is why I didn't consider any surgery with an intestinal bypass portion. I should take them, but I don't. I do have bloodwork done fairly regularly and everything is fine so far with the exception of being super anemic (I take IV Iron periodically) but the anemia has NOTHING to do with the surgery. I had it before surgery and started the IVs before surgery as well. The anemia was another reason I didn't want a GB or DS surgery. I do not recommend that anyone follow my bad example with respect to vitamins.

It is very difficult to drink soda. They actually hurt so I avoid them for the most part. Especially diet....feels like battery acid. I avoid spicy food for the most part because I still have horrible heartburn all this time later (I forgot to add that to my original post...that's a BIG one). The heartburn in absolutely the worst. But it's still worth it.

My pre op measurements were 42 -38-60. More than a little bit of very rich ice cream makes me throw up. So does cooked salmon. Potato chips make me kind of queasy as does any fried food (except catfish..go figure.) I did not enjoy the shopping at all to start with contrary to what I thought. It was very confusing and there was too much to choose from. I spent hours just walking around department stores. It's way easier to shop when the selection is pretty small. Also I had this weird thing where I thought I wouldn't be able to fit anything, even though it was my size. It was a weird mind thing. I was also a little intimdated to go into "regular size" stores. I thought that I didn't really belong there or something weird like that. It was really weird and I'm mostly over it unless I go into like an exclusive boutique or something. Then I feel that way all over again. It's all a little strange, but I had 35 years worth of plus sizeness, so I guess it was to be expected.

My proportions did stay the same overall. They look different (more smooth sillhouette overall) but pretty much the same.

Hey there! I'm made the same as you and I still have curves for days. It's weird cause it's the same figure but way smaller. I thought maybe it would change up some, but it didn't ....I'm actually pretty happy about it. I do have saggy skin on my legs. My hip measurement before surgery was 60 inches, so it's totally to be expected. But in clothes you can't tell....If I am fortunate enough for plastics one day (and if they can guarantee a decent result) I would get it as I guess I have about 5-8 lbs of residual skin on my legs. But honestly it only appears to bother me. My arms are not flabby at all. Even when I was much heavier I wasn't super big up top, so there's not a ton of left over skin there. I had a tiny little bit of shedding of hair after surgery from the anesthesia, but I didn't lose any significant amount of hair. My hair was and is super thick. I only told a couple of people and I noticed that even some of them started acting funny about it afterwards (that whole "you took the easy way out" eyeroll). I just don't really think it's anyone else's business, so I don't tell.

Hi there! I think it took my stomach about 18 months to reach the size it is now and I don't think it has changed much since then....maybe I can eat about 1/4 oz more than then, but that would be it max. I still cant eat sandwiches and dense Protein by itself fills me up super quickly (probably about 4 ozs or so would do it). Honestly though, try not to freak out when you can eat more. It's still way less than everyone else, but it's so much more than at the beginning that it messes with your mind.

Hi julia. My eating increased and my weight loss just gradually stopped. Actually I started taking medication for a different issue and the weight loss stopped around that time. I really think I could start it up again if I just watched what I ate even a little, but I don't want to cause I would prefer to only do what I know I can maintain.

I got sleeved in Mexico by Dr. Alvarez.

Thanks Kris. My actual goal was 199lbs. I got to that in May of 2009 (Surgery March 2008). I lost the additional 15lbs slowly...by September of 2009). Since then I've weighed pretty much the same. I could probably lose more weight, but I am resistant to changing my eating. I exercised about 5 days a week from October 2008 to February 2009--strenously about 1 hr or hardcore cardio a day. I'd already lost 90lbs by that point. It did not affect my weight loss that much..I lost about 20lbs during that time. In fact there were some weeks within that time that I would take off and those are the weeks that I would notice weight loss. And between February 2009 and May I lost about 15 lbs and did no exercise at all The exercise did make me feel better but IMO the calorie restriction was what counted. I can eat much more than I originally could. It feels like a lot because I used to eat so little, but it's really not that much as compared to regular people. For example, I can eat a chicken thigh, but not two or I WILL throw up. I can eat a serving of ceral and milk (1 cup total 3/4 Cereal and 1/4 milk). More does not work. I can not each much in the way of sandwiches. Bread and meat together make me feel stuffed. So about 1/2 to 3/4 of a small fast food hamburger (I mean dollar menu size). If I had to guess I would say I can eat 6 to 8 ozs depending on the type of food. At the beginning but after healing, I could probably eat 3-4 ozs total.

Hey there newme, Thanks. I think it's totally typical to stall, at least it was for me. I lost weight the first two weeks (maybe 18 lbs) and then didn't lose a single lb for the next 5 weeks. i panicked a LOT. But it started up again and then stalled again. Then started up. A lot of back and forth, but it all worked out in the end.

Honestly, for a couple of years I felt like I wished I could finish a meal. I would have given anything for the ability to do that just temporarily. Now I don't feel that way at all. It's hard to have been a food addict all your life and then to not be able to eat. It's an adjustment, but you'll make it!

Thanks for the welcome Mini! The most surprising part of maintenance for me honestly, is that I can do it at all. I was so used to gaining back twice what I lost in record time, that I am constantly surprised when I get on the scale and that it is always within two or three lbs of the same weight. I weigh bout every other day so I don't get any nasty surprises. The hardest part about maintenance is fighting the boredom eating. I'm a grazer and eating is a hobby to me (I'm never hungry. Ever. I just like to eat) so I have to fight with getting up in the middle of the night to eat random things. I still do it, but I just try not to go too crazy. I think why this all works for me is because I always, from the start of being able to eat soft foods, just ate a little bit of exactly what I wanted. I know that's not what they tell you to do and I know that won't work for everybody, but I figured if I tried to low carb or sugar bust it, I would NOT be able to maintain it because I haven't been able to maintain any kind of restrictive eating historically.