mocha

So yesterday marks 24 weeks out or 5 months post op.. I am 13.6 lbs from goal and feeling good.. so here are my stats
 
5'7"
HW:265
DoS:238.1
CW: 163.6
Goal:150
 
These past few months have been the best that i could have ever imagined.. My weight is under control, my boyfriend and I are engaged, and I feel like a brand new me. The funny part is im not even worried about these last few lbs because to be honest im not sure where they are gonna come from, but hey.. hopefully not my boobs or my ass..lol. I have been lucky so far to not really lose my boobs.. my butt got a little deflated, but hey a little squats will perk it right back up..
 
I do have to admit i have been slackin hard core on the working out, but thats because im sooo tired from driving every week to see my fiancee. Unfortunately he doesn't live close so we have to drive back n forth to see each other.. not fun but hey its a sacrafice im willing to make to be with him and vice versa for him.
 
I am hoping to be at goal by the end of next month, but if not no biggie.. just wanted to set a little goal for myself and see if i can achieve it, but in order to do that i need to get back to hitting the gym and running like i used to.. So here is my pledge.. i will run at least 3 days a week. and i will hit the gym at least 2 days a week.. i need to build muscle!
 
I leave you with pictures and my thanks for all your support in my journey to a new and improved me. I hope that I have been a slight insperation to some of you as you have been one to me. here are some recent pictures of my journey..
 

Yesterday marked 60 days post sleeve. Sometimes I forget that I lost 80% of my stomach until I eat a bite too many. Life is pretty much the same as before, but Im much more active adn happy. I've had so much going on in the past 2 months. I'm down 49 pounds since the start of this journey. I'm almost HALFWAY to my goal!!! I'm graduating from Nursing school in 2 weeks and hopefully I will start my job in June.
 
Despite the rough times, despite missing soda, and despite the second surgery I had to have for my gallbladder, this is the best thing I've ever done for myself.
 
I still haven't told anyone in my family except for my husband and mother in law and I plan to keep it that way. When people ask me what I've been doing, I'll just say exercising and watching my portions. I still eat the same except for bread, pasta, and sodas, so technically I'm not lying

Well I'm meting away according to my family and friends, but that's a good thing. I,m still trying to readjust to eating solids but them seem to get right in the middle of my chest. Also having problems with learning how to swallow correctly as my stomach is not big or deep any more so this is a new feeling and i have to get used to it. Planning on heading to Clearwater beach this weekend to hang with the wife and family. I hope all the new sleevers are taking it easy and being patient.
 
God Bless!
P.S. I am creating a website www.fiftynotfat.com, where the goal is to help those who are 50 and over learn how to get in shape, eat right and get health, so I'm looking for people who write, give advice on health, lifestyle and fitness.
 
www.ffiftynotfat.com

I will go to the gym.
I will eat the right food.
I will drink my water.
I will keep doing what I'm supposed to.
 
(Long sigh....)
 
Now if my body would keep its end of the deal...... (kicks the dirt)
 
 
 
Pity party over.

Hi Everyone,
 
I can hardly believe I am going to say this...so listen very carefully I shall say this only once..........I weigh under 300 lbs for the first time in 25 years!!!!!!!!!!
 
I decided to take some measurements to compare from last June, boy was I amazed to find that I have lost 24 and 3/4 inches. Yea me. That of course is spread all over my body, but on my main areas bust, waist and hips I have lost 4, 3 and 1/4 and 7 inches respectively. Woohoo, I can hardly believe it. Well of course, once I saw that I just had to weigh myself didn't I. Again, I could hardly believe my eyes 299.5 Woohoo.
 
Ok, I know it is barely under the 300, but when you have been this big for sooooooo long you never really believe you'll ever get under that number again. I have been dancing around the room like a whirling dervish, and wouldn't you know it, there is no one at home to tell. I shan't be able to tell my husband until he gets in later tonight. So I had no option I had to come on here and announce it straight away. If I didn't I would probably have burst something!
 
So, for anyone thinking that the sleeve won't work for them, rubbish, it is obviously working for me. I am just so happy and delighted I can't wipe this smile from my dial.
Love to all
Phoenix

I am grateful to report that while the inital response from my insurance was that the sleeve was not covered, it turned out they just mis-read the policy. It is covered. Now, begins the hoop-jumping. The traditional 6-month, doctor assisted weight loss program is required, and since I had already started such a thing with my chiropractor (an herbal cleanse that helped take off a whopping 12 lbs and then stalled) in January, I believe that June or July would reach the 6 month mark. She has already offered her full support, and will provide the necessary check-ins and documentation to support my endeavor. I've been with my chiropractor for nearly 20 years, and she has witnessed my struggle. She told me she was proud of me for taking the necessary action to improve my health. I keep expecting those I tell to exclaim their horror at my choice, and not a single person has done so.
 
Today, I saw my Internist for severe body aches I've been suffering (turns out it may be caused by the antibiotic I've been on for an upper respiratory infection), and I also received her full support and enthusiasm. I wonder how my Neurologist, whom I see for my severe sleep apnea, will respond when I see him next week. We check in every few months so he can read my CPAP card and ensure that I am truly breathing through the night. Since I still suffer from fatigue, I often wonder if I'm not holding my breath while I sleep.
 
I dedicated 2011 to resolving my fatigue issues, and decided that since even Provigil (made for Narcolepsy) couldn't keep me awake, I would be open to any form of healing that is presented. So, this week, I sat down for BioMeridian testing, and it determined that I have issues with my digestive and endocrine systems (duh), and so I'm now taking supplements to support them. I'm not absorbing protein well, which is actually backed up by blood work that consistently shows low protein. If it turns out not to be just a bunch of hooey... then my body should be in very good shape for surgery down the road. I was also introduced to something called Cell Food, which are oxygenated drops of minerals and amino acids that are supposed to conquer fatigue and inflammation. I tend to be a skeptic, and so I reserve my opinion on said healing effects for some time down the road, when my body ceasing this aching and my head is clear of fog.
 
I met a woman in a WLS support group I've joined, who is using a FITBIT, which is sort of like a super-fancy pedometer, but it also tracks your sleep, not just your movement. So... I ordered one. I figured that I need to start adding more movement into my life, and I am fascinated by the sleep monitor. I feel like I sleep pretty well with my CPAP machine, though some nights it seems I am adjusting the mask all night long. I'm curious to learn, of the 8 hours I'm in bed, how long I'm actually asleep.
 
In summary, I am 43 years old... and I hurt like I'm 83. I dream of feeling well. I am not fantasizing about being a size 2 (which wouldn't be possible, anyway)... I am yearning to be free of back pain, knee pain, foot pain, ankle swelling, and suffocating in my sleep. I am on a path toward healing and wholeness. Because... I'm worth it.

My surgery took place on March 16, 2012 in Celebration Florida and was done by Dr. Keith Kim, a very good surgeon in this field. I have done research for about 4 years on the subject and talked with countless people about the surgery and those who have had the procedure done. The most surprising thing that I learned was that most people view WLS as a negative cheating way to lose weight, but the majority with that viewpoint were often uninformed or just ignorant to the whole weight loss process. As I sit here 3 days post-op and can feel my body returning to the size it was meant to be I can say that much of my concern is not centered on getting in shape. As a former Army recon scout I was really ashamed of how I let myself become out of shape and lacked the self discipline to eat right and stay in shape but I vowed to not be over 50 and fat……. And so begins my first steps.

I just have to say...God is good. He's good when things are good and He's good when things are bad. He doesn't change. It's easy for me to be thankful right now because my life is like a freakin' fairy tale! (my biggest problem is that I'm fat. oh woo.) How did I deserve this life??? I didn't. God in His infinite grace and mercy has lavished it upon me. I have to say it gives me some uneasy feelings when I look at the misery around me. I almost feel guilty. My husband, my children and I enjoy relative good health. We have more food and "stuff" than anyone could ever need. It's not fancy, but there's a lot of it. I could go on for days about how blessed we are. And for that I say Thank You Lord!! (I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but it's my blog space;)
 
On this forum, I've read about more than just surgery and weight loss. I've read about people. Real people with real lives. People who have lost the ones they love most to d.u.i., unexpected death in the family, house fires that have taken away not only possessions, but family as well, people who were abused as sweet little children and are now fighting their own bodies over it, people who put their faith, love and trust into a spouse and get nothing but venom and hatred in return. I've read about the pains and emotions that can go along with this surgery, and the possibility of being hospitalized for endless months with endless complications. I've read about people who are being rejected by friends or family because they've made the decision to become a healthier person. I've read about a LOT of pain. A lot of heartache.
 
I hope and pray that if the terrible awfuls of this world befall me, I will still have the faith to say Thank you Lord! He is Good! I am thankful for my life and my salvation and I am praying for successful surgery and weight loss. And I have been/am/will be praying for every one of you.
 
--danielle

It seems like just yesterday I stumbled upon vertical sleeve talk and I became obsessed. I read all the blogs and looked at all the pics. Finally it was my time to have my surgery and it all became real. I thank those who prayed for me and those who emailed me to checkup on me. I am proud to say after five months that I am now 153lbs and I was 211lbs at the start of my journey. I know 211lbs may not seem like much but I am only 4"11 tall. The sleeve has transformed me from a size 18 to a size 10 and I feel great. Now I won't say it has all been peaches and ice cream cause that would be a lie. I have horrible heart burn after eating spicy food, I still can't drink alot at a time, and I wasn't prepared for the rapid diminishing of clothes in my closet that fit. I literally stood in my closet the other day and wanted to cry cause I couldn't find anything to wear to work. I didn't know if they were tears of joy or frustration. I can say one thing and that is I wouldn't change anything for the world. I often think when I was young I took my weight for granted and I treated my stomach like a trash can but now that i have been given a second chance, I think twice before I eat something. To all of those who are contemplating it Like Nike says "JUST DO IT"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was sleeved Nov 8th 2011. So I'm about 2 months out. Since surgery I've lost 23 pounds. I feel that is slow loss, my Doc says its right on track. They expect me to lose 5 - 10 pounds a month. So I'm not discouraged, I'm in it for the long haul. Learning how to eat and lose as a lifestyle. I'll admitt I HATE excersise and hope I can lose weight without adding excersise.
 
What I am excited about is the loss of inches. In those two months I'm down two pant sizes and that really feels good.
I'm getting comments about my weight loss,which at times is a trigger to eat more, but i'm learning.
 
I'll take the slow weight loss and the fast inches lost. Feeling good about the sleeve. I can eat what I want, or should I say I can eat what it wants. Sometimes I feel deprived from carbs, but I'm determined. Eating the protein first, then the veggies, theres typically no room for carbs so I'm good.

So, I said I wouldn't try for those Size 0's after all... well... I took them out of my closet to possibly return them for a larger size, which I was going to go for a 4. For some crazy reason I though, what the heck - I'll try them on... why not? Who cares? It would just be interesting to see how far I can get them up.
 
Well... take a look:
 

 
For the record, I'm a little weirded out by this. I still have a lot of swelling to go down from my lipo. How small am I gonna get??? WOWWWW!!! Happy? ABSO FREAKIN LUTELY!!!! I fitted my Zero's without even trying!!!! I LOOOVE YOU SLEEVIE!!! I LOVE YOU LIPO SURGEON!!!! YOU'RE THE BEST!!!
 
 
Source: I Must Retract My Last Goal Thread... Omg You Won't Believe This...

Tomorrow I will be 10 weeks post-op and I can't believe time has flown by so fast. I have to admit, I finally know what others mean when they said "this is not the easy way out" I struggle daily with what my brain wants to do as opposed to why my stomach WILL do. But, it gets easier as the weeks go on.
 
I was a little scared the past few weeks because since the end of the Halloween challenge I was stuck at the same weight. As of Monday (yesterday) the scale finally moved down 4.2 lbs. I was ecstatic Just when my panick of never losing any more weight set in *poof* the scale is moving again. I want to say it has a lot do with my new fitness bootcamp class. I've been going for a week now at 5am in the morning for an hour of torture. lol. But, I think this is what got the scale moving. I'm glad I joined because I can now really see how weak my abdominal muscles really are since the surgery. Before I was able to do a good amount of crunches, now I can barely get my shoulders off the floor. I know in time it will be better.
 
Well, on to what I really wanted to talk about I have a crap load of clothes in my closet that I've been holding on to for years. Some of the clothes are items that I once wore when I was a smaller size and vowed to get back into one day. Others are brand new with tag items that were too small when I bought, but swore i'd lose enough weight to fit it. Well, just out of curiosity I pulled some things out of my closet to try them on. Let's see, a summer dress that I wore two years ago (once), and was uncomfortably snug, was actually too big for me! My fiance said I'd have to take it in. Can you believe it? Me? Take in a dress?? So, I went on and tried on a sleek black pencil skirt that I used to wear for business. The last time I tried it on, I couldn't get the side zipper to even touch. Now, the zipper went up with no problem. I tried on a dress that I wore about 2 weeks before my surgery. Looking back at the pictures, I swear i looked about 8 months preggo. But when I put the dress on, IT was too big! So, i'm going to be taking in a lot of clothes it looks like! It was like going shopping, but not having to spend a bunch of money lol. I can now fit several button up shirts and other dress pants that were just in my closet collecting dust. Next round I'm going to try on my New York and Company size 14 jeans that I held on to for the last 6 or 7 years. It would make me so happy to be able to pull those up over my knees!
 
I guess I'm still in awe about the fact that I'm really losing weight. I'm so glad I did the surgery. :biggrin2:

Yesterday marked 6 weeks since my surgery and I have to say that I think I'm doing pretty well. I haven't had any follow up appointments w/ my Dr. yet. We are going to do that at my 12 week mark. Overall I feel energized. The only time I felt really drained was up to a week right after surgery and this past week when I came down with a cold. My biggest problem is just learning how to SLOW down my eating. I have started to really focus on this and I feel much better when the food goes down. I can eat little bites of anything and I still say away from breads and most carbs for now. I do plan on adding those back in at some point, but for now I don't want to overdo my sleeve. I can say that my situation right now is very normal and maybe even text book. Now hopefully my Dr. appointment doesn't come up w/ an issue (crossing finger).
 
So I was contemplating my life in the past 20 or so years in terms on my weight. I can remember going back as far as 3rd grade, i would look at the other girls' thighs when we sat Indian style (sorry "criss cross apple sauce") and thinking wow, my thighs are so much bigger. The women on my Dad's side of the family are all for the most part morbidly obese. To the point where they have very limited mobility. I grew up being terrified of turning out like that. So I always had my size at the forefront of my mind.
 
I remember in the 7th grade I weighed in at 145 lbs. Now I nkow that's a very awkward stage for everybody. But I would wake up early in the morning before school and work out to Denise Austin or that guy w/ the thick black curly hair w/ the accent. I know I was most out of wack then and it took a year or two for that to even out.
 
Highschool I think i was the most fit. I definitely didn't LOOK fat or obese, but I was a solid 175 lbs by the time i was a senior. Looking abck at all of my pictures, I surely didn't LOOK overweight. I just weighed a lot. I'm not sure why, but I guess i just had denser bones? Or maybe I really had more muscle than fat. I saw my prom picture and DAMN I looked good! So, why always the stigma of thinking I was too fat? The numbers on the scalse are misleading.
 
By the time I was out of college I was at 215. I was still bigger than a lot of women my age and hieight. But again I didn't look obese and when I had Dr. check ups, the nurses always comented how surprised they were that I weighed in as much as I did.
 
So, I finally decided not to worry about it, and in 8 years, I sky rocketed from 215 to 270. I looked at pictures and couldn't stand how fat I let myself become. Where was all that muscle? Am I really obese now? It came to realaity when the Dr's started telling me to lose weight and I have border line hypertension. I reverted back to that fear I had whne I was a little girl about not becoming like my female relatives on my Dad's side of the family.
 
I finally realized I had a problem on my hands and tried through diet and exercise turn it all around. Nothing worked. My self esteem plumeted and my depression increased. Now here I am now living with a decision i made to surgically alter my body in hopes of returning to a normal weight. 175. I'm going to look hotter in my wedding dress than I did in my prom gown.
 
Now I feel like I have a chance to back up and do all of the good things for my body I said I couldn't do because of my weight. I'm starting Yoga, Fitness boot camp, and am even going to take on my arch nemises....running. My body deserves for me to finally think highly of it and treat it with respect.
 
Sorry for the rambiling, but the thoughts were just swimming in my head and I had to get them out
 
Thanks for listening, fellow sleevers!