theoldmusicbox

Dr. Teel is a rockstar! if you get a chance, you should come to the support group meetings at the hospital the 2nd tuesdays every month. i have found them to be very helpful. and research shows that people that attend support groups before and after surgery tend to lose quite a bit more weight!

My aunt had bypass 2 years ago, I was sleeved a little over a year ago. She lost about 100 and has that 'sickly' look that I think was from malabsorbtion. I lost 183 pounds, mostly in he first 7 months, other than a bit of sagging (that anyone who loses 50% of their body weight will have) I look normal, not sickly. I choose the sleeve because everything still works like it was designed to. And some other personal reasons. Mostly, you need to look at all of the possible followup that is required for both, and see what you are most likely to do. My aunt said that she wishes she would have done what I did. Go with what seems best for you. Good luck on your journey

After the first week or so, the pain was mostly a memory. By week 5, I took my family to great wolf lodge water park and did every single ride they had. I am a little over one year out. Almost all my loss was in the first 7 months and I have maintained my 183 lb loss since January. It's the little things that you don't think about that make it worth it. Tying your shoes without holding your breath? Taking the stairs because you don't want to wait for the elevator? Not having to ask for a table instead of a booth? Actually enjoying shopping for new clothes? Looking in the mirror and not thinking "I don't look too bad today"? It's nice to feel like a normal person for a change. Good luck on your journey.

i started as a man standing 5'6" weighing 373lbs, wearing a 56 inch waist jeans and a 5-6x shirt. now, i'm still 5'6" (a nurse measured me at 5'6.5" and i laughed saying my spine must have decompressed) i wear a 30" waist jeans and a 1x shirt. my favorite nsv's so far? 1. i ran a 5 k with my teenage son and i didn't die. and at the end, he told me that HE was proud of ME. that's probably my best one 2. don't have to wait for a table, a booth is fine. 3. i can tie my shoes without holding my breath or passing out 4. buying clothes at the thrift store (because we all know that us overweight people wear stuff till it's falling apart and cant be donated) 5. doing things with my kids that i just didn't have the energy or desire to before 6. not having to ask my wife to cut my toenails for me 7. being able to wear the 1 piece of clothing that i kept all these years because i couldn't bear to throw it out when it didn't fit me anymore. 8. i get an extra 5 miles a gallon on my motorcycle 9. let's face it.......... skinny sex is better

start small, start slow. do test bites. (take a bite, chew well, set your fork down for a minute until you see how it goes down before taking another bite) at first, it won't take much to fill you up. and only try 1 new thing at a time to see how it is tolerated. within a few more weeks, you will get to move back to REAL food. now is the time to start thinking about that. in order to make changes that last, you have to make changes that you can live with. trust me, healthy food does not have to suck! these are the sites that i use to find food ideas, and my kids love the way that we eat now. http://www.emilybites.com/ http://bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com/ http://dashingdish.com/recipes/ emilybites is perfect for sleevers, her 'cupcake meals' got me through the first 6 months. there are a couple of hundred recipes between these 3 sites and everything that i've tried has tasted great. remember, eating smaller portions of the same crap that made us overweight in the first place is not a good plan, but these sites have many great versions of those foods that really do taste great, but are healthier. good luck on your journey, you are doing great so far!

i focused on protein and calories. for the first 6 months, i stayed between 600-900 calories a day and shot for 60-80 grams of protein. other than avoiding obviously bad things with carbs, i really didn't worry about carbs at all. and the majority of the weight that i lost was in that first 6 months. now, as long as i get my 60-80 protein and stay under 2000 calories a day, i've maintained my 183 lbs weight loss since january. the important thing to remember is that in order to make changes that will last, you have to make changes that you can live with. yes, you can go all out adkins if you want to, but, is that a lifestyle that you can live with? it's better to find healthy foods that you like and start new eating habits. if you say "i'm cutting carbs for the next 6 months" you may do really well, but what happens after that? find what will work for you forever, and make those changes and you are more likely to have long term success. IMHO. good luck on your journey.

when i was a newbie, i was 'married' to my water bottle. it never left my side. i would sip on it all day long. and i still had the worst case of cottonmouth for about the first 2 months. so much so, that i would wake up more than once a night totally parched and feeling very dry. had to keep my bottle next to the bed. didn't matter how much water i took in. i got my 80 oz or more, but still, the mouth stayed dry for about the first 2 months. after that, it got better. just make sure that you are sipping on liquid ALL DAY LONG. and try your best to get in the limits your dr suggests.

i am 14 months post op. if we are honest, i think that we all have that "what the hell did i do to myself" moment. i had it for a very brief time, and i am 'that sleever' that everyone hates. i had no complications, only 1 throw up (because i tried to do a whole serving of broth in 5 minutes 2 weeks out) and a pretty quick recovery. so, if someone like me had it, i can truly understand someone with any complications having it. however, at 14 months out, my life is much better. i am 20 pounds away from what my surgeon told me was a 'lofty' goal. i am smaller than i was when i graduated high school, but i don't have that 'crack addict, sick' look. i am able to do all of the things that i couldn't but wanted to. and i eat like a normal person. i don't always make good food choices, but i always stay on track, because, i didn't do this for temporary weight loss. i did it to change me life. and it has helped me take control. hopefully, you will learn what is causing your problem, and be able to use this to be a happier you. i truly hope that you come to love it as much as i have. good luck in your journey.

these are my go to resources for recipes. http://www.emilybites.com/ http://bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com/ http://dashingdish.com/recipes/ emilybites has an amazing selection of 'cupcake' meals. perfect portions for sleevers and got me through the first year. these sites have well over 300 recipes total that will knock your socks off. my kids love the way we eat now, and almost all of our meals come from these sites.

dr teel at miami valley! do you go to the meetings? if so, i probably know you, but i'm terrible with names

when i started my journey, it was my personal goal to lose 200 pounds. i have lost 181 so far. everyone tells me how skinny i am. and yes, i am now wearing the same size clothes as my brother that i have admired my whole life. i went from a size 56 waist jeans to a size 30 jeans. from a 5-6x shirt to a 1x shirt. but, i still have the 'fat brain' syndrome. i know that if i were to lose another 20 pounds, i'd probably look like a crack head, but, i feel ya on the whole body image thing. other than my clothes not fitting anymore, i didn't really 'see' a difference until i'd lost about 100. here is my advice. go back and look at your pics. take a good look at your face in the before and afters. that is where it seems to really show. your body will take time to even out. also, i know that you want to be an 'after' already, but remember, you didn't get big in 6 months, and your not gonna get small in 6 months either. keep working your program, and talking to people that have been successful. a therapist may not be a bad idea if it doesnt get better, but i have gotten much satisfaction from going to my monthly sleeve support group meetings. if you have those in your area, i highly suggest going. it has been very helpful to me. good luck. you have been doing great. dont take that away from yourself.

yup. my digital does that alot.

i use body fortress powder. i like the chocolate Peanut Butter and the Cookies and creme flavors. 26g Protein, (pluss 8g from skim milk) and only 120 cal. best part is, you can get it at walmart for about $15 for 26 servings. also, you can snack on turkey pepperoni, cheese sticks, and hummus (i dip pita chips in it) for a little protein.

yes it does, you are rockin that sleeve. keep up the good work

Pasta, bread, and popcorn were not good for about the 1st 3 to 6 months, but, i'm a year out now, and can tolerate anything as long as it's chewed well. still love my spicy food!

today is my first anniversary of being sleeved. Before 373 lbs, 5'6" tall, 56" waist, 5-6x shirt Now. 192 lbs, 5'6.5" (I guess my spine decompressed or something) 30" waist, large to 1x shirt. Life is good, Love my sleeve.

Thanks guys. food choices are key, because eating smaller portions of the crappy food choices that made me fat was not going to get me to my goal. and any kind of exercise is good. My diet has consisted mostly of recipes from these websites Emilybites.com Bariatricfoodie Dashingdish In the early months, Emilybites saved my life.

I am a June sleever, from 2012. Today is my 1 year anniversary. Life is good. After the first 2 or 3 weeks anyway just get past the liquid phase and I promise, you will love your sleeve. Good luck on your journeys

here's my list 1- i can tie my shoes without holding my breath or passing out 2- i did a 5k with my teenage cross country running son, and didn't die 3- my teenage son told me that he was proud of me 4- i'm sexy enough to wear abercrombie and fitch (which i would only buy from the thrift store) 5- being able to shop at the thrift store 6- i can do a pull-up (chin-up) for the first time in my life 7- i can sit in a booth at the restaruant 8- in an emergency, i can use a portapotty if i have to. 9- not having to use the handicap toilet in public restrooms 10- skinny sex is better.

i started at 373. you're going to love your sleeve. after you get past the liquid diet and onto real foods. lol. i dont miss that part. good luck on your journey

oh yeah, i forgot. i was sleeved on june 5, 2012. and like the earlier poster, i think i'd still like to drop to 185, but i think if i go much further than that, people will start thinking that i'm using crack to drop weight! so, we'll see what 185 looks like for now.

my original goal was 175, but i only picked that goal because when i graduated high school, i was 185 and i was the fat friend then. however, i am now at 192 and in smaller jeans than i wore in the 9th grade. guess my body changed a little bit here are my stats before surgery: height - 5'6", weight - 373, jeans - 56" waist, shirt - 5-6x present day: height - 5'6.5" (lol, i guess either my spine decompressed or i'm standing straighter now) weight - 192, jeans - 30" waist, shirt - large to 1x. rockin the sleeve! hope you all are doing well.

just so you know, i am a june sleever. june 5, 2012. i wont say not to be nervous, after all, this is a major surgery, and requires major life changes, but i will say do not be afraid. helpful hints to boost success 1. listen to your doctor, you are paying him a lot of money because he knows what you need, so, listen to him. 2. pay attention to your nutritionist, they give great advice. 3. start looking now for recipes. a big part of success is changing your relationship with food. you will NOT have longterm success by simply eating smaller portions of the crappy foods you ate that made us fat in the first place. healthy food does not have to suck. trust me. i love food. i enjoy cooking it almost as much as i like eating it, and i refuse to put nasty tasting food in my mouth simply because it is healthy. here are my favorite recipe sources. http://www.emilybites.com/ http://bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com/ http://dashingdish.com/recipes/ http://www.sparkrecipes.com/ the emily bites site is perfect, especially in the first 6 months or so, check out the 'cupcake meals'. perfect sized for newly sleeved and tastes amazing. the dashingdish has a 'members only' section where she puts the really good stuff, it is a pay what you can membership. i highly suggest joining. the bariatric foodie site is a woman that had ruen-y, she has many good recipes the spark recipe is tricky, i go into the special diet pull down and put less than 400 calories a serving, and more than 15 grams Protein. and that brings up some really good ones. also, do some kind of excercise. even if it's just walking. i started out at almost 400 pounds. so, yeah, i walked to the corner and back a few times a day to start. then built up to around the block. now, 3 miles or so. and i did a 5k with my teenage son. and lastly, remember, that you CAN do this. you've come this far. i feel like a normal person now. i can do all of those things that i used to watch others do and wish i could. in a year from now, you will be well on your way to the life that you've been dreaming of. good luck on your journey. much love O

Rock that sleeve! You're doing great!

started with a bunch of walking, then added circuit training style workout. 30 minutes, 5 days a week. Breakfast is my version of a Protein shake which is more of a cappucino. 16oz coffee, 1.5 oz skim milk, 1 heaping scoop of body fortress Cookies and cream Protein powder. altogether about 140-160 calories 28ish grams protein. when i have actual food for breakfast, either a monte cristo made with flatbread, deli ham and turkey, thin swiss, and a dab of sf maple syrup. (there's more to it, but, thats the main stuff) less than 300 calories, more than 15 grams protein. or the http://dashingdish.com/recipe/giant-one-minute-breakfast-cookie/'>http://dashingdish.com/recipe/giant-one-minute-breakfast-cookie/ holy mother of all things awesome! less than 200 calories, about 14g protein. i don't put it on a plate, i warm it in the bowl, it tastes like a warmed up nobake cookie! mmmmmm lunch is typically a 1.5 cup serving of leftovers. dinner is usually something that comes from one of these sites. http://www.emilybites.com/ or http://bariatricfoodie.blogspot.com/ or http://dashingdish.com/ i do have high protein Snacks from time to time. i also carry Protein Bars in case i work late, or get stuck somewhere so that i don't make bad choices. the best protein bars i have found so far and the only ones that i feel taste good AND have enough nutritional value (protein vs calories vs crap) are the pure protein bars found at walmart/kroger/ect. and the advobars from advocare. hope this was helpful. good luck in your journey!