Queen of Crop

Ok, so this is something I never thought I could do again and I am doing it! I can sit cross-legged (Indian style) for the first time in probably 25 years! Now, I'm not saying I can sit COMFORTABLY yet, but at least the legs are tucked in....... And now when I sit normally, I always cross one leg over the other; seems so perfectly natural. I was so sad not to be able to do that for so many years.....it's these little things that are so amazing. I haven't been this happy about my life in a long, long time.

No regrets...none, nada, zip........and keep in mind, the sleeve isn't 'just to lose weight." The results are a lower weight of course, and you look better of course, but you either get rid of or avoid all the associated risks that come with being obese, or yo-yo dieting. I am almost at goal and still struggling with hip and knee problems because of the damage I did when I was heavy. The problems I have now are tolerable (and I walk/run 3 miles a day) but if I could have had this done in my 40's I would have in a second. This is your health and there is nothing more important.....the fun stuff (looking good, shopping, compliments) are all just the extras you get from this (seriously) life-saving surgery. Good luck and as you can see, at least those of us who post on here are very happy!

Just a quick update.....I am now 7 months out and it has stopped....BUT, I am also faithful about taking my B12 shot once a month (I didn't do that religiously the first 4 months because I was traveling) and I take a B12 supplement every day. I think that will help. If not, just give it time, it does go away. But it does hit you like a brick!!!!

To Aggiegirl: Treat your hair gently; only wash it every few days, and try not to comb it so much. At least for me, the scary phase only lasted a couple of weeks and my hair is very fine and not thick. So you'll probably be fine.

Aloha Skinnyagain (and also to K33) First, I think this was a great post to read so thank you for posting it......it shows the support of this forum and reminded me that this isn't a free ride. I personally felt that dieting was HELL and this has, not been easy, but so much more effective that I sometimes forget that even though I eat small amounts, I still need to eat healthy. As for K33, this surgery is a very personal decision, but do keep in mind the possible downsides of the surgery to me, are far less than the risks of being and staying overweight. Congrats Skinnyagain on getting back on track and being strong.....love this forum.

Ah, of course.....just got confused.....I've traded my weight problems for brain problems!!! lol. But yes, that was a wonderful story with her friend......but I'm with you.....I have a very small circle of people who know and plan to keep it that way!

Hi Skinny again.....thanks for coming onto the VS forum and letting us know what is going on with you......it's the first step to continuing your (already successful) journey. I think I can speak for all of and tell you that 39 lbs is an amazing weight loss; (just try lifting two 20 lb weights!). And losing 39 lbs the traditional way would have been much more painful and slow (IMHO). I didn't know about the carbonated drinks so that information is very helpful for all of us! Thank you. I don't drink soda but I do drink sparkling Water which I will stop immediately. This entire thread has been humbling to read.....I am 7 months out, started at 204 at surgery and have lost 53 lbs, not that much more than you, but I feel like an entirely new person! But I am only losing 1 lb a week for the last 20 weeks and I am happy with that because I never feel like I'm dieting, I just eat very small amounts. Also when you lose slowly I think it helps my skin adjust so I don't have loose skin in places. I think the advice of writing everything down (even if it's for a month or two) will be very helpful to you. I write a blog every Sunday and it's one of the things that keep me happy with the decision; all I have to do is go back to the first weeks and see the difference between now and then; I would take now (even though I'm not at goal either) over THEN anytime! Good luck and come back when you need us.

Big topic but I can just tell you for me, I was 4 months out before I noticed the hair loss and then I was freaking out; didn't want to comb it, didn't want to wash it, started looking for wigs, and was generally pissed. I had been taking Biotin for months; then on the advice of my Naturapath Dr. I started taking Luminous and bought some shampoo with Biotin in it made for thinning hair. Not sure what did the trick, but the important thing is that the period of it being super fragile was only about 2 weeks. I am now 6 months post op and my hair is starting to return to normal. I haven't dyed it since a month before surgery and am thinking I may take the leap here soon to hide some of the gray coming in. Here I am finally looking younger because of my weight loss, I don't want gray hair getting in my way!!!!

Wow Kat! What an awesome friend!!! So that's another plus on the board of WHO SHOULD I TELL??? Seems to me that most people are divided on that front (me being on the side of not telling). But your story sure supports the side that does tell. My first dinner party was a total disaster; the hostess went to so much work and I couldn't eat anything......I still feel so bad about that. Keep posting; we're all interested and excited for you.

Hi Kat: You may want to take a look at my WEEK 4 on my blog.....even though I was with my husband when I got out of the hospital, I wasn't prepared for the sights and sounds and smell of all the food around me......it was overwhelming leaving the safe haven of the hospital to the real world. Be sure to be as prepared as you can mentally and with things you can have for the trip home. You can see WEEK 4 here: http://www.queenofcrop.com/archives/2011/11/ UK Cathy's advice was really good; see if you can find a buddy....it helps, just like this forum!

Congrats Musharooni....love those things....I just got back from my daily workout (have been consistent for 2 full months....first time in MY LIFE!!!). I ran/fast walked 3 miles in 41M 30s which makes a 13.7 minute mile! AND I ran for 1.25 miles straight! I thought I felt a little critter crawling down my back....turns out it was sweat! A new sensation for me for sure......

Aloha Kat!!! Ah, you're 51 and about to be sleeved; how I wish I could have had this done at 51!!!! The last 7 years of my life would have been SO much better; I had this done last October 3 days after my 58th.....now 7 months later, I feel like I am 41!!! Hopefully this forum will help you feel less anxious and MORE eager!!!! Take a look at my blog (link below) if you would like to see what you might be in for; I have chronicled my experience each Sunday since the end of October and each week just gets better and better. Keep us posted and congrats on your decision.....

I just got some Pure Protein shots that do come in a test tube like bottle. Why are they not good? I've been mixing them with juice and just sipping on it during the day hoping that extra 25 grams of protein will round my eating out.

To Jane Rose: Yes, you have to just go where you feel you want to be health wise and scale wise....for me, I thought 153 would be my ideal weight; now I'm here and I think, 138 is what I want to do. But I also put a lot of merit into my blood work and how I feel. You'll find your way; congratulations BTW for doing this at age 63! How exciting for you. A whole new chapter for us at this age. To Rootman: Yeah!!! I love that you posted your situation on this.....wish more guys would jump in. And is that really YOU in the Before photo? As for your wife; keep on loving her like you do and she'll figure out you;re her guy. You sound like a very special person......happy to hear you are getting so toned....that's my new priority as well.

I'm here to tell you that YES! You will! I am loving buying and wearing sexy (but tasteful) things again....hmmm, wonder if I ever really did before I was fat for so long....but it does make a difference in how you feel about yourself. I posted a little more about this on my Sunday update (link below) and I also talk about how the first few weeks felt then and how I feel now looking back on that time. Check it out if you can. And if you haven't registered on my site, you might want to, next week I am going to talk a lot about Should you tell or not....so either sign up, or check back next Sunday. If you haven't seen my blog before and you're a little new to this, go to the ABOUT page first.

Aloha Ssilian....thanks for checking the blog....actually the Before photos are scattered within the blog, but if you want to see the most dramatic, go to April 15 blog, or check out my photo gallery here on the forum.....I am so fortunate not to have had any sagging skin.....I have no idea how it bounces back, but I'm grateful for it!

Just weighed myself and posted my weekly Sunday update and am only 10 lbs from the goal set by the CDC. I have a link to their site on my blog (link to that blog below my name), along with some info on lingerie....if you have a chance, stop by and take a look. It's a gorgeous day here in Hawaii ne, and life is good! Aloha!

Thanks for the reply; it's interesting because I eat so little I just thought it will keep coming off until I'm ready to say enough! So your situation is humbling....I'm just going to keep up the exercise and hope it will continue at 1 lb a week....stay tuned and if you need any moral support, just let me know!

Good for you!!!! And you have your priorities correct....however, I am 58, had the surgery done 7 months ago and have been so happy that not only do my hips and knees feel better, my BP and cholesterol are good AND on top of that, I look so much better and am feeling those sensual feelings again......we are very similar....I was 223 when I started.....take a look at my before photos on my blog.....and now; huge difference. So set your sights high! There are lots of surprises in store for you....good luck, June is right around the corner!

I am! At least lingerie; it feels great to throw out all my dumpy under pants and matronly bras and buy cute sexy things....even if I am 58! I just finished my Sunday update (week 29 out of 52 and I'm 10 lbs from goal!) and I talk about that and other body things a bit. Have a visit if you're interested....I also have a link to a wonderful Hawaiian performer we saw last night.

I'm your gal on this one!!! I had my surgery done in Germany (I live in Hawaii) while on a year long trip! After the surgery I took the train back to Amsterdam for 3 weeks, then started traveling FULL TIME for the next 4 months! And my loss was steady and good. It wasn't always easy because I couldn't find a lot of things in Europe that we have here and sometimes my energy level would wain. But I would recommend packing some Protein liquid shots and mixing that with Water or juice and some Protein powder and Protein Bars so you be sure and get your protein in. There is always yogurt in Europe so that worked for me for Breakfast (and the upside is you won't be interested in the pastries after your surgery). Italy was a tough one, so I always found a place that had minestrone soup; I think I was the only tourist there that had no Pasta, pizza or wine! But the gelato is divine. The toughest part will that you will be eating very little and cannot take the leftovers with you usually; and so many of the restaurants are locally owned and they seem so hurt when you don't eat! I would suggest a little flexible cooler and put things that you know you can eat in it for the plane. For me, I always had to have some saltine crackers or pretzel thins to help keep my stomach settled. I never worried about calories while traveling; it was all about protein and what my tummy could tolerate. Just eat slowly and forget about the alcohol for now; it probably won't taste good anyway. I am chronically A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A SLEEVER on my Sunday blog, which is sort of a travel / weight loss blog; you might want to take a look at the link below and look at months Nov -Feb and you will see I was in many different countries and I made it work! I am now 10 lbs from goal..... Good luck; and you'll do just fine!

I've been using the Pure Protein shots (you can get them in the 25 or 42 gram bottles and there are other brands too, just check at Target or GNC). I just pour one in a glass in the morning (it's a little thick and sweet) and mix in some cranberry juice to make a full glass (8 or 9 oz) and I just work on that all day, little sips here and there. I'm at the point now where I probably only get 50 grams of protein in a day, but my blood work is all good at 7 months out. But it's easier than a shake in my opinion.

At Coops: wow, we are almost identical in our weight loss and our goals! I've lost 72, you 73, I have 10 you have 11 to go.......good for us and thanks for the encouragement! At Jimmygotsoul......oh wow, I feel like an entirely new person, this is the BEST thing I ever did! I am loving my life.....if you have a chance, check out my blog (I am doing a blog on a YEAR IN THE LIFE, outlining each week...right now I am on Week 29....are you one week out? This week I talk about looking back on those first days......you have an exciting year in front of you! And you're in your 20's....wow this will change your life! Good for you!