Queen of Crop

Welcom Kathy51!!! (and all the newbies!)/ Wow, 51 is YOUNG!!! I had my surgery at 58 (that was 5 years ago) and it completely gave me a new, healthy, vibrant life! Trust me, 50's is not old and after the surgery you will feel like you are in your 30's Good luck and congratulations on quitting smoking...well done! Just look at my photos on the back of my book....taken one year apart...exactly! Queen of crop

My breast reduction and lift was the best thing (after the sleeve!) that I ever did! Been 4 years now and I fee SO much better. You will too!!! Good luck!

I too had a breast lift and reduction, no implants and I couldn't be happier!!! As my surgeon said...."we have enough material to work with!" They are fabulous and very natural looking and I highly recommend you consider that instead of implants.

Hi Stevecfo...I am just now back on Bariatricpal as of yesterday! And see that I wrote the last post in January....here it is end of April and I still have not done my 5 day pouch test and am still 10lbs over my goal weight...which is why I am back here to get inspiration from all of you! It's so interesting how heavy I feel at 148 lbs....I feel almost as bad as I felt at 223 lbs....which I guess is a good thing. And I agree....let's hear from some more veterans!!!! How is everyone doing.....even 3-5 years out????

Hi everyone! Queen of Crop here....most of you don't even know me but I was on this forum daily for at least 2-3 years in the beginning. I am almost 6 years out now and decided I needed to check in again. I was 58 at surgery (am now almost 64). I lost all my weight at exactly one year (83 lbs) and kept a weekly blog about it which I turned into a book called Queen of Crop. It completely changed my life as it will all of yours. But now, 6 years out I have gained 10 lbs back and realize , like so many, that you have to be diligent....the first 6 months to a year is your honeymoon period so lose as much as you can and learn new skills and exercise! It's like your youth; it will go by fast! Good luck to all of you.

Thanks for this post! I am almost 6 years out and just this past year I have started gaining weight again....7 lbs in one year! And although, like you , I didn't have terrible eating habits; it was just a slow gain over a number of years before my surgery, this weight gain is due to bad habits and I must get control over it. Thanks for inspiring me. I am not in the US either , and went from learning about the sleeve to having it done within a month. (Self pay). I was early on in the Sleeve game....so wrote a book about it. Where are you? In Europe? I'm in Amsterdam, but I'm American.

I haven't been on the site in a very long time...I was an early one....had my surgery in 2011....best thing I ever did....second best thing was my breast reduction!!! I LOVE MY BOOBS NOW!!!! I am a 38B (not so big) and so happy I didn't have implants....but they removed 150 grams of tissue from one and 9 from the other to get them to match. Congratulations and I have a feeling you will be SO happy! I was 58 at surgery and 60 when I had my breast reduction done.

Good for you! The breast reduction and lift I had done 4 years ago was the best think I ever did!!! Do they do neck lifts?

Good morning from Amsterdam....I'm an American but I was a relatively early sleever; was sleeved in 2011 in Germany; so I am going on 5 years out. I am 63 so I was 58 when I was sleeved. I lost 87 lbs in the first year (and kept a blog every Sunday and turned it into a book called Queen of Crop). I reached my goal weight and kept it off until just about 6 months ago. About year 2 I found I could eat anything and everything but I still watched what I ate and I was on a regular exercise program. My life changed dramatically and I loved the feeling of being a normal sized person. Last year, some of my old habits started coming back; snacking, eating sweets and drinking a glass or two of wine most nights. A few lbs kept creeping in and now I am 10 lbs over goal. All of this is because I have gotten to relaxed with my eating; my exercise is still good. So I just this weekend bought the book, The 5 Day Pouch Test and will start it in the next few days once I get prepared. So for me, being one of the veterans of this surgery, it was THE best thing I ever did, and still is. But like all normal weight people, you have to be smart about what you put in your mouth. And I simply got too lazy. So long term: it has been fabulous and I will get this weight off; should never have let it get to 10 lbs. My own doing....looking forward to feeling that honeymoon restriction again. Like everyone says, IT'S A TOOL...BUT A POWERFUL ONE. I probably should write a Queen of Crop 2....what a life I have had in the last 5 years!!!! WOW

Hi, I'm Queen of Crop, have been on this forum since 2011...had my surgery at age 58 and that was 4.5 years ago. I wrote a book about my first year called Queen of Crop. I have mostly been at goal since a year out (lost 84 lbs or about 40 kilo). I've gained about 5 lbs back recently but am on top of it and will get it off. I need to get back on this forum because I will NOT let myself go back to where I was and I find myself eating too much again. I'd love to know of a European Community of sleevers. I live in Amsterdam and have met a couple in Switzerland and just today got a notice from someone here in Amsterdam where I live. But there must be more of us, right? I'm American but have been living here since 2011 and had my surgery in Germany. I know there are not as many heavy people here as in the US, but we are a big continent! WHERE ARE YOU???? LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. QUEEN OF CROP

I had my surgery in Frankfurt with Dr. Rudolph Weiner....5 years last October....have been at my goal weight until just a month ago and I gained 6 lbs on vacation...having a hard time getting them off, but all in all, this is the best think I ever did for myself. Have been living in Amsterdam for 4 years...I had my surgery when I was traveling for a year...and wrote a book about my weight loss and travel adventures...it's called Queen of Crop....because I used to 'crop' myself out of all my photos! Not any more!

Welcome Belgian Guy! Actually I'm American (although at the moment not that proud of that fact!) but living in Amsterdam....and yes, there aren't many of us here....but a few. A pity really because I could use some support right now. I am 5 years out and in the last year gained almost 3K. I'm freaking out a bit espeicially with the holidays coming up.

@Bamagal76....Hollyhock nailed it....when was the last time you lost 2lbs a week steadily and 25lbs over all? You are doing all the right things! Some weeks it might only be 1 lb and you will be shocked because you ate so little, then another week you might lose 4....but, you are losing all the time. If you read my book, I was on the same weight loss pattern and often said WTF???? But looking back, it was a magical year and watching my body and mind and life change was very exciting and yours will be too.

Have posted on this forum many many times, but I still get the notices and I still feel compelled to tell everyone that I had my surgery at 58 and now almost 5 years out. I was at goal (lost over 80lbs) until this last spring when I had a TT. They removed almost 3 lbs but for some reason, I gained it back plus 5. So I am about 5-10 lbs over what I would like to be. (I'm 5'3" and now at 145. But, my life has never been more incredible, bordering on a fairy tale. I wrote a book about my first year (kept a blog every Sunday) it's called Queen of Crop for anyone who wants some inspiration. But I should seriously write a book about the years after. It's been surreal. Sounds like it's mostly positive for all.

Welcome everyone! I'm Queen of Crop, and am 62....joined this group when I was 58 and was sleeved a few days after my BD....here I am 4.5 years later, still at goal and living a dream life. I wrote a book about my first year, (Queen of Crop). YOu are all in for a fabulous journey! Lots of veterans here....my best advice is enjoy your first year, it's weird, but it's a true honeymoon. As I said, I'm still at goal, but now I have to work (like most normal weight people) to stay here because I can eat a whole lot more now. If I were to do this over again, I would have tried to lose a lot more weight in the first year. I stopped at 138 because I thought that was a good weight for me. Now, 4.5 years out, I think 128 would have been better (and I could easily have lost another 10). Now to keep at 140 is really tough, but I'm doing it.

Hi Niisi...I just returned from a trip to the US, I leave for Switzerland on Saturday for a week...and I'll be gone back to Hawaii for 2 months in the fall, so probably no other trips planned outside of Amsterdam for a while...but please let me know next time you're in Amsterdam! Would love to get a few of us together. Maybe I'll plan something although our little group is still so small...

Hi Niisi....welcome to our little group...hoping more European sleevers will join. I just met (ex) biggirleurope yesterday! We met at a little cafe here in Amsterdam and it was great to get to know her. Congratulations on your weight loss....exactly the same as my new friend...what part of Switzerland do you live in? I am in Switzterland a few times a year. And as for the drinking with meals, that will go away at some point. I am almost 5 years out and can drink and eat anything...(not such a good thing really). Enjoy your first year, it truly is a honeymoon! Let us know if you ever get to Amsterdam.

@ Tab143 I had my surgery 5 years ago at age 58, I am 63 now, at goal for 4 years. Zero problems. It changed my life. I wrote a book about my first year (there is a chapter a week for an entire year) and I was also traveling at the time. It might give you an idea of what to expect. (the name of the book is Queen of Crop ) But the most important thing is that it is never too late to get healthy! Good luck!

Thanks, I made a note and will look for it when I'm in the US

I'll be interested as well. I also don't live in the US but I'm going there in a few weeks.

Hi there....just hit Quote on the bottom to reply directly to me (Multiquote goes to everyone). My life is a little nuts, but I'm available the 13th, 16th or 17 for an afternoon coffee...does afternoon work for you? You can also email me at queen@queenofcrop.com (you can look at my blog www.queenofcrop.com it is a sample of a book I wrote about my first year, I wrote every Sunday. ) My name is Sharene BTW but no one on the forum knows me as that.

Good morning....I live in Amsterdam! I am a veteran sleever and am 4.5 years out. I'd love to meet you for coffee...I live in the Museumplein area....PM me when you can. Happy to know there is one other person in this country who had the sleeve! Queen of Crop www.queenofcrop.com

That is so true! I had mine at 58...I am not 4.5 years out and my life changed dramatically and all for the better! Good luck to the newbies. queenofcrop.com

Wow, so happy to find this thread...I had my TT done in Feb and have gained 6 lbs and still have not lost it. I don't think it's Water weight though...I stopped wearing my compression garment after about 2 months...do you think if I started wearing it again it might help? I am happy with part of my TT (my vagina really got lifted and I like that!) and I don't have a lot of floppy skin, but my tummy is definitely not flat and my scar is like the bride of frankenstein...so trying to figure this out.

Hi Jinty! Great to see your photos!!!! I don't know if you all can see this video, but if you can, it's really inspirational about looking good as we get older. I loved it! https://www.facebook.com/whocarespuntme/videos/850646991731743/