LadyIvy

Great article. It just makes me so much more thankful that I got the sleeve. The women in my family are genetically predisposed to getting VERY large. Before surgery I already exercised regularly and ate like a nutritionist (with the occasional not so healthy food). Yet, every time I worked hard to lose weight it would come back and THEN some. I was told by many doctors that I was misrepresenting my actual intake when I showed them that I was journaling everything that passed my lips and still managed to be gaining weight. It seems my ideal intake for weight loss is 1000-1200 calories a day because I am so very active already. Any less and I stop losing weight, any more and the same happens. I learned a long time ago the doctors obviously didn't know enough to understand me and had to learn what my body was telling me. I know genetics plays a BIG factor for me, but I'm not going to let them win! The surgery is a major help to make it permanent.

She was actually on the news a long time ago. I am from Baltimore and what the people said about her was thoughtless and rude. She has worked very hard and is in great health thanks to her hobby. She may be big, but I am glad to see she went ahead and decided to compete!

omg. Yum! thanks for the great recipe!

Depending on your current body weight and bone structure. Keep an eye on those high impact work outs and the effect they have on your joints. Otherwise, go for it and let us hear about the results!!

I found that nausea was actually my body telling me to eat breakfast. I was never a breakfast eater. Now I get up and go grab a shake right after I go to the bathroom in the AM. It stops the nausea almost immediately!

WTG Lissa! Those fitness NSV's are the ones that are really helping us. So much more than just the weight loss. Keep up the great work!!

No, men being simple is not hard to believe. I usually think more like a man than a woman. Simple is good. Logical is even better. I am not the type of person to make considerations based on emotion. However, it is obvious that there is a problem when a small issue like this becomes an all encompassing huge one like it did last night. I have a definite plan for the future so that this does not occur again, but I never wanted there to be a "my food and your food" situation in my house. Everyone deserves the exact same right to healthy food.

I am sorry, I absolutely have to vent with people that understand what I am going through. My family is being so inconsiderate. Ever since I have been able to eat solid foods again, I have taken healthy cooking to a whole new level. Last night I made black bean quinoa and MD shrimp cakes (instead of crab). It is frustrating that I can only have a couple of bites so I want them to be really healthy and yummy. I make the same amounts as I used to, but have enough for my husband to take some to work and have a little left over for me to have a warm, healthy lunch the next day. Recently, my family has begun arguing about who gets to eat what I don't. First of all, I'm getting really sick of that. It makes me feel like if I actually do manage to eat more than a few bites, someone in my family is missing out. Even though all I can fit in is protein and I make them full meals. Then after dinner, my husband has taken to taking all the remaining high protein stuff for his lunch and leaving a few left over beans or something. I didn't say anything because I make healthy food for them too, and just took to eating the bit of beans or whatever is left over the next day. Then they started even eating those for snacks later that night! I mean WTH! I cook the food (and put A LOT of effort into making all the local restaurants look like fools). Then they don't stop to think about what I am going to do the next day. After the second or third time it happened I said "hey, how come I don't get any leftovers for tomorrow?". I got an oh, I'm sorry. Then a week later it started again even worse. I mean "COME ON!". I already don't feel normal and it is hard enough to have really good food in front of you that you can only get a couple of bites of. Then to have that eaten off your plate and all the rest taken away too. I don't know how I feel. I just know I am angry and tired of being treated like I am different.

This seems like another "diet" plan. The whole point of the sleeve is to get off of the weight loss diet rollercoaster. These plans didn't work for us before and will just serve to keep us in the same mindset that didn't work for us. I recommend going about your life for a few days and stop counting everything. Stick with the plan, do your exercise (log it on a sheet of paper if you like so you can enter it later after you get your results). Stop stepping on the scale daily and use your tool. Stop when you are full and switch up what you are eating a little bit. You seem so regimented. It looks so familiar. I was always able to micromanage myself into weight loss in the past, but lets be honest, how long are you going to have time for that? Then you won't have learned how to use your tool when life is insanely busy because you haven't learned to really listen to it. You are in a stall anyway, so trying it for 5 to 7 days isn't going to hurt. Weigh yourself in a week and see what happens. Give it a fair shot. I am an A type personality so it was REALLY hard for me too. More plans and "diets" aren't going to help you now, just like they never did before. Good luck! You are a person who is destined to succeed. Weight loss is hard for those of us that have trouble relaxing btw. Our cortizol levels are higher than most and that contributes to belly fat too!

This is a great answer. I would like to add that some genetics are more adapted to being a survivor! If people like us lived in a world where we had to fight for or hunt our own food, we would be the queens! Our bodies are set to be genetic winners in a different culture. I can't seem to lose weight at 600 calories. If my body thinks I am going to starve it, it just shuts down my metabolism like it hit a switch. If I don't stay up near 1000 a day, weight loss just isn't going to happen. I find that Native Americans tend to be VERY good at this feat of conservation. I know there are other nationalities too, but I think that since we are not far off of our hunting and gathering days, we haven't really had the time for adjustment that pure Europeans have (for one example). Hang in there! It will come off and you will be in great shape for it!

Should have read further, I will look today, thanks!

So far, I am having the same problem. The cups are right where they are supposed to be but the strap around is too loose. This is the first I have heard of a genie bra. Where do you get them? I have worn mine to their absolute capacity. I am now on the last loop and have to put them on high heat in the dryer to shrink them (which means they have no more underwire either).

My husband said last night, "well you have a whole cabinet of foods I can't even have!" I asked him what was in the cabinet and he realized all that is in there is protein drinks and powders (as well as Decaf tea, which he very well CAN have, he just doesn't want it). Then he says, "why are we always arguing about food all of a sudden?" I asked him, "when do we argue about food?" He said it was all the time. When I asked him to tell me a few of the instances, there were only two. They both came back to this consideration thing that has me so pi&&sed off. As a matter of fact, they were both part of the same argument. The fact that in his brain this has become an "all encompassing" and according to him, "nearly constant" problem tells me something. Even though he now realizes it was only two times (over 3 weeks) and about the same exact thing, I now realize there is obviously a deeper issue that I need to figure out. Something is really bugging him about all of this and I am not sure what it is. He is trying to be supportive. We are generally very good communicators, so I don't know if he even knew it until last night. I have so much going on right now, I knew there were going to be relationship adjustments, but what a PITA!

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been hit with a backlash of dissent in recent days for his proposed ban on the sale of sodas and other sweetened drinks in containers over 16 ounces. Some critics have gone so far as to say the mayor's proposal is a "fascist" attack on American freedom. Is soda really so unhealthy that it needs to be regulated? I think it is about time someone made a point. American capitalism is failing our health. I don't like the idea of big brother getting involved, but I am to the point that I feel something has to give. Have you ever watched TV after 6 pm? 3 out of every 4 commercials is food, candy or some other unhealthy garbage. Just tiny changes can make a big difference! http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/health-risks-soda-really-bad-184600883.html

That is what I am going to have to do. We wound up having a long "discussion" about consideration. It feels so wrong to even have that talk because my husband is usually so great to me. I still don't know how to explain how this entire situation makes me feel.

You can find frozen yogurts that are sugar free and really good because you have been so long without sugar. I actually find it beneficial to allow myself to occasionally indulge. I gave up smoking, I gave up drinking, I gave up my food addiction. I feel that if I don't get an occasional treat I will go overboard. Not everyone can do that, if sweets were your weak spot before than you may want to consider what treat you allow yourself. For example, I can never ever go back to sodas. That will open a flood gate for me.

The more weight you lose the more fertile you get. I had to wait about two weeks and kind of cross my arms across my middle for another two weeks so that there was no shaking or movement. I have seen this question before, and guys seem to either heal faster (or care less).

What a horrible reason to quit doing the pre-op diet (I mean your surgeon). Thats like saying I stopped saying cigarettes are bad for you because people don't quit. I hope the next 10 days go fast for you!

600-800. I don't mean to count, but I use sparkpeople.com to track my protein and it goes with the territory. Also, it is good to know so that if you stall you can figure out what adjustments need to be made.

I'm so sorry you have to wait. I am glad you got medical intervention when you needed it. Take good care of yourself. I agree with you that everything happens for a reason, we just may not always see what it is.

I really don't go out to eat anymore. When people I know visit and want to go out, I always get something healthy and yummy and move it around on my plate while I get them to talk. This way they don't notice how little I actually ate. I take tiny tiny bites so that it looks like I am taking lots of them. Then, I bring home my extras and eat it for 3 or more days (if I don't send it off with my husband). I get really frustrated with it sometimes too. I miss big mouth filling bites and enjoying a lot of something. That was most of our problem though wasn't it? It is the most frustrating part I agree, and you aren't alone there.

The weight loss can help your eyes for a number of reasons. Diabetes is one. High blood pressure lowering is another (when you have extremely high blood pressure it actually changes the shape of the entire eyeball and distorts vision. I had my eyes checked in October and since surgery my prescription is wrong). I came off BP meds and the shape of my eye changed so my rx had to change too. Unfortunately, mine was in the other direction. Also, high cholesterol has been shown to marginally impair vision. Either way, congrats on some major benefits!!

Carbonated drinks are the only thing I will never reintroduce in some small quantity. I know where my weakness is and that is it. I can tell you that since I quit drinking diet soda I haven't had A SINGLE migraine and I used to get 2 to 3 a week. Before anyone says it, no it isn't the caffeine either because I do drink coffee in the morning. I just feel anything that would do that to someone CANNOT be good for you. Since I had this surgery for my health, quit smoking 7 1/2 months ago for my health, there is no way I can say in good conscience that I kept drinking soda.

Way to go! I feel this NSV is at the heart of the invention of the sleeve. This post literally made me smile. I am so happy for you! Keep up the great work!

This is my exact situation. My understanding is that some people have a stomach that is LONGER than others and can get in just a bit more. I have a long torso so I find that believable. How about you?