MichiganChic

OMG. That's the biggest waste of time and money I've heard about in a while. Sorry to hear that. So absurd.

Good for you! You'll be so glad you did! I went on a long weekend 3-4 hours from home 2 weeks post tummy tuck and brachioplasty. I was still feeling pretty rough, but did OK. At 4 weeks, that would have been an easier trip.

I think this is a normal and healthy fear. I agree with the sentiment of the other posters - it's a tool, you have to do the work, you feel differently about food in the beginning, and you will see. I also want to say that at over two years out, I STILL worry that it won't work for me. I live in fear every day that I won't be able to maintain my life and body. I LOVE being thin and every gift that comes with it. I now realize that it can all be gone in a hurry. It's all me now. I still have the sleeve, and it does offer some restriction, but if I let myself, I could eat enough over the course of the day to get back up to 300 pounds. I believe that I've learned enough during the time it took me to lose the weight NOT to let that happen, but I know that I have to stay vigilant. So, I say all this not to scare you, but to empower you. I am in charge of my weight, and you can be, too. The sleeve bought me a window of opportunity, and I successfully used it to get to a normal weight. So while I fear it could be easy to lose control, t's much easier to maintain that than it is to face losing a hundred pounds or more. I think I learned enough along the way to make the most of the gift of the sleeve. It's not some sort of magic - we have the power in this case.

Weight loss surgery is not a miracle. Think about what a body can physically do - realistically. Then you'll have your answer. When is the last time you lost even 2 or 3 pounds a week? However - feel free to boast. That's an awesome start!

My doc doesn't want his patients to have coffee for about 4-6 months. I told them up front I wouldn't comply with that rule, so they cleared me at 6 weeks. I had strict instructions to avoid my iron and calcium at the same time as coffee. Now I don't need calcium or iron, so I tend to drink 3-4 cups daily. Just finished one

@@tebowfan good luck! You are going to love it!

I'm not sure if anyone else struggles with this, but I REALLY do. I drive myself, and everyone I know, crazy with this question. I find myself asking strangers sometimes, if the conversations makes it's way there (which I know how to drive that, lol). So, that's what I'm doing here, too. Please don't judge me harshly I wanted to be one of those people who set their goal and succeeded to get there. I find that I'm not one of them, and that magic number is elusive to me. So the commentary in my head goes like this, day after day, all day, every day: - I haven't reached my goal....I'm going to have to DO something..... - Maybe this is all I'll ever lose, and that's OK - No, you had a goal, you can do it..... - Well, you look good. You wear a size 10 - But I could wear a size 8! And, my BMI is still high. So I must be FAT. - You aren't that fat, all your bones are sticking out and it hurts when you bump them. - Well, maybe the weight would just come off my thighs, not where I'm already bony. - That's just stupid, you never had thin thighs. Just be happy. - Yes, that's right. I can be happy like this, my life is great. Just shift my goal a little, be realistic! - But wait, AM I being realistic? Maybe I'm just giving myself an easy out. - Yeah, you are just giving yourself permission to go into maintenance. After all with a BMI of 28, you are overweight. Better kick it up a notch. And on, and on, and on. It's exhausting! So, am I fat?? It's not a rhetorical question. The surgeon says I'm good to go. The dietitian at my docs office says I'm not fat, and just go into maintenance. She said most people end up with a BMI around 28, and that it is successful. I'll be honest, I don't exercise, (bad knee) and I think that's one thing that I could do to impact it. Also, my calories creep up on the weekends, and I know that's also impacting it. So, maybe I could get there, but I've been on a plateau and I haven't lost in months, even when I was doing those things. The real question is, am I fat? Not compared to the weight I was (I think people who know me always have that point of reference), but compared to normal people. How important is the number to all of you? Thanks for listening!

@CrazyCatLady Thanks for your comments. I have really had to shift my mind set. I really, really wanted to hit that normal BMI. I'm sorry you can't get anyone to confirm that you are not fat! It shouldn't matter to me what others say, but obviously it did. I still find myself thinking "10 more pounds" but it's really just fleeting thoughts now. Then I remember I'm good like I am. What a relief! I hope you can get there, too! I feel a little like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. I had the power to declare success all along! Your picture looks quite thin, and it sounds like you have some skin, so there's your miniscule overage on the BMI. I'd say you are a success!

Life is pretty normal. I just follow the rules. I do what I did to lose. I have to watch what I eat, and I track it on my fitness pal. I don't think I had a drink on new years eve, but only because I didn't go anywhere. I have an occasional drink, and it doesn't make me drunk like they say. If I go to a party, I'll allow myself to eat what there is. I don't stress about it too much. I loosen up a little on the weekends, and decrease calories through the week to accommodate that. I can eat what I think most people would see as a small normal portion. When there is an abundance of different foods, I'll have a bite or two of them all. I've learned a taste is good enough. I can eat all types of food, and nothing makes me sick. I still drink a Protein shake every day for breakfast, and have a small salad with chicken for lunch, and then protein for dinner with vegetables. I have to work hard not graze, but sometimes I do. I try to make sure it's protein when I do. I tend to eat more calories after work than I do all day. Maybe not the best plan in theory, but it's working for me. I think that's the message - figure out how to succeed, and then do that! Basically, I suspect it is no different for me than it is for my thin friends - I watch what I eat to maintain my weight. Good luck to you.

I use the Newgel+E, as recommended by my surgeon. She also said Mederma doesn't really work. I'm just not sure if this does either, guess time will tell.

Great article, and so true. Great site, too. Thanks!

I meet or exceed it almost always. I'm barely missing it on days I don't get it all in.

I think you are right. He's close, but not quite. Sounds like an alarmist who is making things way overstated so people will land where they should be. I might mention it to the doc. Not every patient has the ability to recognize misinformation.

And to add to @@JamieLogical advice - don't let yourself get constipated. It's likely to happen because of the pain meds, and straining only adds to the misery. Those muscles will be sore!

It was painful for a few days, sore for quite a while, and swollen still. But the results are great, and I would do it again. The pain is very short term for a life with skin that fits. Aesthetics was a driver for having plastic surgery, but I also did it because I believe it will give me another advantage to keeping my weight off. (some studies have indicated that). I looked good in clothes, and while I didn't love the skin, it never bothered me like the fat did. I really wasn't prepared for how much better I feel and can move now - I didn't realize that I was physically uncomfortable with all that skin until it was gone!

I think that some people are never happy. I decided to pursue plastic surgery, and I'm glad I did. It was the right thing for me. If it's not for you, that's good, too. My guess is that people who are not happy with themselves will be that way, no matter what. I hated being fat, and I didn't love the loose skin, but I loved that compared to being fat. Now that the skin is gone, I can wear a bikini, so that's even better. However - I liked myself just fine even when I was fat - I just hated the fat. There's a big difference between the two.

@@Julie norton I also thought it was very painful. The first couple of days were the worst, but I was pretty sore a couple of weeks. Depending on what you do,4-6 weeks off work would be best. I went back remotely after 2 weeks, and back to the office at 3, but a few more would have been nice.

@@Band07 Wow, that's too bad! How much can you eat at once? I can eat more than I think I should be able to, too. I also get hungry, but I'm two years out, so I think it's normal. It looks like you have succeeded in losing a fair amount of weight, though. Did your sleeve help at all?

@@Band07 How do you know your sleeve is too big? Just curious as to your symptoms.

I just had a ton of plastics done, and I'm glad I did. My family wasn't in favor of it either, because of the misery and risk associated with it. I had to let them gradually come around to the idea. I have a different opinion - I think this decision DOES, in fact, impact our families. While I went ahead even though they would have preferred I didn't, I gave them time to adjust to the idea. I did what I could to calm their fears. The reality is that our families worry about us. Plastic surgery will impact families financially, the person who has it will have downtime and be unable to do their normal contribution, and will also require help. So I think it's a bit short sighted to think of it as a unilateral decision. Having said all that, if I hadn't been able to help my family see it was important to me, I would have still proceeded. It just worked out better if we were all in it together. It's just a slightly different approach, but considers other's opinions, too. And congratulations, you look great!

I love my fitbit. I don't have the scale, but might get it sometime. My daughter has both and really likes them. I've had the fitbit for about three years or more. I love tech stuff, too!

1. I've learned it's what you do day after day that makes the difference in weight loss. One bad choice won't ruin it for you, but a bad day or two can quickly result in undoing a lot of hard work. 2. I have to eat a lot less than I would have ever suspected in order to lose and maintain. 3. Even after 2 years, my new "lifestyle" isn't easy or something I do automatically. 4. The restriction and loss of hunger you get initially are not as strong further out. 5. You do adjust to eating less, and soon smaller portions feel more normal. 6. It gets harder over time. 7. Even though losing and maintaining is hard, being fat is harder. It's worth every bit of effort required.

I had the sleeve and take NSAIDS daily. Also my heartburn is resolved with weight loss

@@blashlee I have to say, I never had breasts that matched my body either. You'll see as you continue to lose weight how they will likely continue to deflate. I do really like mine now, better than ever! As I heard someone else on here say, why would anyone want real ones when these look so good!? They are not fully settled yet, and sometimes I think they might be slightly bigger than I really needed, but I'm not unhappy with them at all. Even being slightly large, they don't look fake or round, and they feel normal, too. Glad I did it!

Losing 10 pounds in a month is reasonable, but you might be able to lose more if decrease your intake. The size of your stomach has nothing to do with your food choices. I learned early on that just because I can eat more than the recommended half cup doesn't mean I should. The surgery will never control your choices, only you can do that. My advice is to learn what you should be eating at two weeks out, and do that, both in terms of quantity and types of foods. Learn about sliders. Don't graze. Don't drink with meals. Learn the rules and follow them. If you can't do that, I don't think removing more of your stomach will help. I think given what you say you are eating, there's no real way to know if the size of your sleeve is the problem, or even if there is a problem. It's not the removal of your stomach that results in weight loss, it's the decreased calorie intake that results in weight loss. We can all eat around our sleeves if we choose to.