Shelly-NO-Belly

I'm in the waiting room of GHP...just saw the dietician who gave me the go-ahead to start trying different foods. I'm a little nervous. I'm afraid of trying new foods...which she said that I don't have to do anything I don't want to do. So conflicting because I'm bored with my current food LOL Next up I meet with the exercise dude. He is SO nice. Then a quick meeting with my surgeon.

It sounds silly...but I really want a ticker!!! How do I attach it/manage it? I'm the kind of computer geek that can get around Adobe...not html LOL

I wound up paying cash...kind of. I got a loan. I didn't have insurance at all. I stayed in the US, but it cost $17,000. I went to Michigan and I live in Indiana. The first hospital I considered charged $60,000 JUST FOR TWO NIGHTS in the hospital...so I saw $17,000 for everything a bargain...plus they have the highest excellency in the area...the first hospital was still pending. It is a big loan, but so worth it. It's got low interest on it because my bank is amazing- and nothing was going to stop me from getting the surgery LOL No regrets at all!

Ahh...I retract my question LOL

Congratulations! I was sleeved 1/31 and I'm down 37 lbs! You are doing GREAT! Keep it up!!! I will warn you what I had just found out about last week- the 3 week curse. Happens to some people I guess. I was REALLY freaked out because I was doing well losing the weight, but it suddenly came to a hault and I was doing everything I was supposed to be doing!!! Then everyone on here let me know that it was normal and the losing would start back up eventually- and it did, yesterday morning. SO happy. You're going to love it! I had a little trouble with my liquids/protein too, but that gets easier! GREAT JOB!!!

If you do Whey make sure it is isolate (but you probably know that )

Aw, I'm so sorry There is also "Whey" or "Nectar" I don't know if nectar has plain, but you might want to check into it. They're drink mixes are yummy.

Can you get a loan? I didn't have insurance either- but I got a loan. The place I went through (Grand Health Partners, Grand Rapids, MI- Dr. Foote) charged $17,000. I got a loan. I know that's not always an option with everyone. I didn't really WANT to get a loan, but I didn't want to wait any longer for the surgery. I needed it and I'm happy I did it. Worth every penny.

I'm only about 1 month out. I was really worried at week three because I seemed to be holding on to weight...it wasn't MOVING! But luckily, the lovely people on here helped me through it- so you have come to the right place for sure. Get your fluids! Day 5 post op my legs and feet were so swollen because I wasn't getting enough liquid and walking. Definitely walk too! Pace yourself. I swear I had "buyer's remorse" for about a week after (which I thought I didn't have at all the day right after surgery!) because I was just depressed and felt like crap. But it's surgery and you aren't going to feel like hiking a mile right away! Pay really close attention to how your stomach feels. I had to work hard at first to tell the difference between my head hunger and real tummy hunger. And I had cravings for the first two weeks when all I could have was liquids, but once you get to add mushy foods, that will pretty much go away. Another nice thing about the cravings, for me anyway, even though I still get them, they aren't as strong and they go away as soon as I eat anything. Even if it's not even close to what I wanted. I LOVE THAT! Don't be scared...be EXCITED! Beware the 3 week curse. I'm so happy I just got over that! This is an exciting time...do everything they tell you and you will just watch the weight melt!

Did you get the unflavored unjury? I have the unflavored and I add it to EVERYTHING. Mashed potatoes, pudding, oatmeal...Maybe you got a bad batch? I don't notice an odor or any added taste. Sorry

I think the only reason that I've lost more in a smaller amount of time is because my starting weight was considerably higher than yours. At my consultation I was 296. At my pre-op weigh in I was 275.

I'm just over 3 weeks post-op. I was doing really great. I was down 31 lbs...then I got to 36 down...now I go back and forth between 31 and 36 lbs. I have not lost anymore weight. It's really frustrating. I mentioned the hault in loss at my 2 week follow up. They told me it could be a number of things- but that they won't really know until they see me at my 6 week follow up where they can compare. It's really depressing...I'm at a weight that I had got myself down to using the Optifast meal suppliment program. I feel like I spent thousands of dollars (I have no insurance) on something that would've cost me $200. I realize that there are hiccups and that I wasn't going to lose it all over night....I just feel like I've worked my ass off to get to this point and I've stopped feeling different. I've stopped feeling as happy as I was a little over a week ago. I don't know if I should stop worrying or start worrying. I do my best to get my Water in and I do pretty well getting my Protein in. I've found it's quite the struggle to get in both. I really don't want to skimp on protein. I have EXTREMELY thin hair as it is- and with all my money wrapped up in paying my loan off, I don't have the funds to find hair as well. At least not right now. As far as I've been told, I DO need to work on my water intake, which I have been and I'm not supposed to exercise beyond walking and small weights until I meet my exercise fella at my 6 week appointment. Any words of advice? Encouragement? I feel like a complete loser. Doesn't help that my days the past week haven't been good. I'm in a rut Thanks in advance...

Thank you SO MUCH everyone! Sorry it took me so long to actually get back on here to reply- but I did read each comment via email and it relaxed me! I woke up yesterday morning and 6 lbs was off! And it was still gone today! Take THAT 3 week curse! And now that I think of it- those of you who mentioned I need to do my measurements...I have noticed the loss- even in my WRISTS! The waist, thighs and tummy all feel slimmer. I wasn't let myself feel that though. Shame on me! I've been doing a lot of walking on my lunch breaks. Where I work there is a mall right down the road and they have mile marker signs for the mall walkers. It's not a BIG mall, but one lap around is 1/2 a mile. I recently caught a nasty cold, so I've been sticking to the one lap. Once I can breath through my nose again I'll up it to two. Next week I plan on starting my resistance bands and once I meet with my exercise counselor (I don't remember his actual title) on March 15th, I will be starting zumba. Feels better and I love, love LOVE the support I get from everyone on here! I'm going to make sure when I go to my 6 week follow up that they are aware of this website. SO HELPFUL! AGAIN- Thank you ALL so much for the encouragement (and my apologies for posting something that someone else had posted about previously. I was so upset, I didn't take the time to look it up LOL)

Here I am at 1 week and 1 day post-op. Down 31 pounds (14 lbs from pre-op diet)!!! I am feeling amazing. I tried wedding dresses on today! Even though I'm not where I want to be, it felt amazing to have the dresses CLIPPED in the back because they were TOO BIG! I was struggling for a couple of days as far as getting protien down- everything tasted awful. Thanks to the dieticians I am now eating Campbell's cream Soups made with FF Lactaid milk and blended in my Ninja. I've been adding unflavored unjury to the Soup to make sure I get the protien. FEELING GREAT! SO happy the "buyer's remorse" is gone. That was worrying me! Just wanted to share the good news. I can't believe how great I feel with just a little bit of weight loss!

It's completely normal to be nervous- heck they were taking me to the OR and I wanted to back out and that was even after two rounds of some drug they gave me to calm down because my pulse was 104. It sucked the night after surgery and didn't feel better (not pain, depression) until about 3 days later. A lot of that is the anesthesia, too. Right now I'm at my 2 week follow up. I feel great and I'm happy I went through with it! Just breath- the big step you're going to take is sooo worth it. I bought a wedding dress just last week. I ordered it two sizes smaller than I currently need and hopefully in 5 months they'll have to take it down even more! Good luck and make sure you keep us all updated! I will say this forum has really helped me! Make sure you really talk to your dietician. They'll tell you things like- don't eat in front of or in ear shot of a tv while you eat!

I'm 2 weeks post-op on Tuesday. Luckily my fiance is really understanding and has been doing a majority of his "bad eating" at his parents house or at least asks if it would bother me if he made something to eat. However, just yesterday my mother and brother just about set me off. They are 2 of my biggest cheerleaders- yet, while we were out getting my niece fitted for her bridesmaid dress, they decide to tell me they planned on having lunch. At TGIF's none the less (I REALLY love that place). I had to put my foot down and explain to them how unfair that was to put me through that right now. I mean, I realize other people eat, but I asked that they drop me off at home first. Just be honest and don't be scared to speak up. People want to assume that it is easy because we "shouldn't be hungry", but a liquid diet doesn't really fill the smallest of stomachs up for very long. Just talk to him. I'm sure he doesn't realize what he is doing.

Same here- I have heard it both ways. I guess my goal is to keep it at it's small size. Just like when we had 100% of our stomachs- eating less made it shrink back down...My surgeon told me essentially, that's the same deal. I just try to keep in my head- even after I will have healed- that any over-eating I do will cause the staples to come out and I'll have a leak...I'm hoping to keep that mentality even 9 years post-op LOL I'm going on 2 weeks post-op now, so I'm still learning.

Where abouts are you?