Chelenka

I was sleeved Feb 11th. I have lost 50 lbs exactly. I feel so good even though I still have a long way to go. So happy I made this choice!

Had to share the progress so far...left to right (Jan 2013- pre op, 3/30/13 -1 mo post op, 4/22/13- 2 mo post op)

I was sleeved on Feb 28th and an down 40 lbs as of yesterday, which includes the pre-surgery diet phase. My weight loss has slowed the last few weeks as I've begun to eat more regular food. Also I've been extremely busy with a show that I am in so not able to get in enough exercise. Most of the time I feel fine but I get lightheaded sometimes. I think it might be cuz I'm not getting enough Water. I have to get down on my knees in the show and for the first time in my adult life I can do it gracefully, without having to put my hands down first. Getting up is still a bit of a challenge but I'm working on it! LOL! Keep up the great work fellow February 2013 sleevers!
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One of my biggest peeves when I was a heavier person was flying coach.
It was so embarrassing to sit in between 2 strangers and very uncomfortable on those trans continental flights of 5-6 hours. Super embarrassing to ask for the extension belt. The stewardess always tries to be discrete about it, but I could feel everyone's eyes burning into me. I loathed business travel because of these issues as an overweight ( morbidly obese) person.
To avoid some of this awkwardness, I would pay the extra 200-400 to upgrade and fly first class. It certainly was a much better experience for my bruised ego, but the costs really added up.
Fast forward to today where I am at goal weight and will be flying for the first time as a post op in 3 weeks. It will be a flight to Hawaii for a family vacation. I am so excited to sit in the seat and, wait for it, wait for it, have extra room on my sides. No one will have a clue why I will be doing the happy dance the whole flight over, except my wife! So looking forward to vindication of a former fat guy on this flight.
I will always have empathy for other heavier people going forward as I will never forget my own prior pain. My approach is to treat them with care, respect and dignity.

NSV today. I had to take a link out of my watch. Too loose to wear. My wedding band is loose too, I'm sure it will need resizing eventually.

Hi everyone! I was sleeved on 2/26. I am down 48 lbs. I exercise five days a week and eat a strict Atkins type diet. Lean Proteins, small amount of veggies. When I have to have something sweet (which I never had before surgery by the way) I have a slice of orange, unsweetened applesauce, a few grapes. I am working hard on the hunger issue. I have physical hunger if I do not have at least 72 oz of Water a day and do not eat as instructed (every few hours). I still supplement with Protein Shakes. It has been a journey. I do not regret one minute, but it has been a huge lifestyle change. Everyone sounds as if they are having great success. Keep up the good work.

I was sleeved on Feb 28th and an down 40 lbs as of yesterday, which includes the pre-surgery diet phase. My weight loss has slowed the last few weeks as I've begun to eat more regular food. Also I've been extremely busy with a show that I am in so not able to get in enough exercise. Most of the time I feel fine but I get lightheaded sometimes. I think it might be cuz I'm not getting enough Water. I have to get down on my knees in the show and for the first time in my adult life I can do it gracefully, without having to put my hands down first. Getting up is still a bit of a challenge but I'm working on it! LOL! Keep up the great work fellow February 2013 sleevers!
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I was sleeved on Feb 28th and an down 40 lbs as of yesterday, which includes the pre-surgery diet phase. My weight loss has slowed the last few weeks as I've begun to eat more regular food. Also I've been extremely busy with a show that I am in so not able to get in enough exercise. Most of the time I feel fine but I get lightheaded sometimes. I think it might be cuz I'm not getting enough Water. I have to get down on my knees in the show and for the first time in my adult life I can do it gracefully, without having to put my hands down first. Getting up is still a bit of a challenge but I'm working on it! LOL! Keep up the great work fellow February 2013 sleevers!
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Have to share my new breakfast recipe.......1 scoop protien powder, 1 egg, and milk to the consistency you like for a pancake, pour in heated pan, add blueberries and make like a pancake YUMMY! With the Protein Powder my Dr has me using this one pancake has 17 grams Protein. As of today I have lost 40 lbs since surgery YEAH ME!

Hi. I'm new to this site. It took me six months of diligence, but I finally got approval from my insurance company for my sleeve surgery. I had it on April 17th. I'm feeling remarkably well on Day 3 post surgery, much better than I had mentally prepared myself for (from past experience with C-section, tubal ligation, hysterectomy and two knee surgeries). At 7 am today (65 hours after surgery) I walked my dog around the block and had no set-backs from it. Later, I took a car ride (first real outing) to shop and came home very weary, but still ok!and, 3 days post surgery, I've already lost 10 lbs. That's what really impressed me!
My motivation to have this procedure stems from my decimal history. Like most obese people, I am becoming diabetic, my joints hurt, and the GERDS is only getting worse. But, unlike most other obese people, my thyroid tanked about 27 years ago, which has made weight loss an even greater challenge. Add to that, I found out 5years ago that I have - not one, but TWO rare auto-immune diseases. Primary Biliary Cirrhosis ("PBC") and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH). Another name for NASH is Fatty Liver Disease. My weight continued a gradual climb over the years, despite my efforts to change my eating patterns and selections. I felt cornered. This surgery was my only hope to delay - and maybe even eliminate the need for a liver transplant someday. And, if a by-product of this decision is that my sweet husband gains 'arm-candy,' then great!
I selected the sleeve over the other procedures because the full bypass surgery makes it impossible to receive a transplanted liver in the future (nix that one), and the Lap-Band is too easy to reverse. I wanted this decision to be permanent and never look back. I work with three people who had the Lap-Band, and only one of them has been successful at it. The other two have gained back all their weight and more. I know several others who have been successful at Lap-Band, but I wanted a permanent life-change. I'm so glad I did it. Pain and nausea? You bet! Unbearable? Maybe once or twice for five minutes, but I kept telling myself, 'this is normal. This, too, shall pass. The outcome of all of this is that YOU get to live to see your 3 year old granddaughter grow up.'
There is so much stigma with gastric weight loss surgery, that I've chosen to not share it with more than my husband and two very close friends. It's no ones business why I chose to do this. I see people who have been skinny all their lives say, "Oh, I see.... No wonder you've lost weight," implying the fat person failed and had to "cheat." My coworkers, siblings, and others were told I'm having a procedure done to 'prop-up' my liver, give it some relief, and hopefully delay a transplant - all of which is 100% true. Maybe someday, I'll feel better about sharing the whole story with everyone. I am into Day 4 post-surgery. I've lost 10 lbs. I'm on the right track.

Not a tall lady here, but a tall guy, well at least the last time I checked anyway.
I'm 6-3 and I know what it means to be confused by all of the "numbers" out there. The scale AND BMI can be misleading. When I started thinking about the whole surgery process, I was 300 pounds and was 292 when starting pre-op, 272 the day of surgery and now 226. I'm still a long way from my goal of 215 and I am now 17 mos post-op. So I know there's a pretty good chance that I'll never make goal. The reason the scale and BMI can be misleading is that neither takes into account the composition of one's body meaning how much of that weight is muscle and how much is fat, Water, etc. Also what the scales and BMI charts don't really tell us is if we are healthy or not. I'm a long way from being at an "acceptable" weight or BMI. However I'm off all of my cholesterol and blood pressure meds and I feel great now! I have no idea of how long I'll live now, but I have to believe that having the surgery has only helped my chances of living longer and I know that I am MUCH healthier now than I was 2 years ago or even 10-15 years ago. So even though I know I may not reach my goal of 215, I've reached all of the goals that really matter to me. And with a body fat % of around 14-15%, I'll take that, especially since I'm now 40 years old. So just remember, numbers can be deceiving if taken out of context or if one is using the wrong numbers like those listed on the scale. Not saying the scale should be ignored, it's just a tool for tracking SOME of our progress and doesn't tell us everything. Good luck and make us tall people proud!

One of my favorite crunchy Snacks.
Faux cheese Nips
Take one Kraft single - Sharp Cheddar is my favorite
slice it into 16 little squares
place on a piece of parchment paper
nuke in the microwave for about 50 seconds until puffed - will come out crunchy
60 cal, 4 Protein, 2 carb, 4.5 fat - 100%satisfying.
Don't use real cheese, don't use anything other than parchment, must use the micro - otherwise you get something completely different.

Greek chicken, about 23g Protein and roughly 120 calories for entire "making"
1 can chicken breast chunks in Water (5 oz)
1 Tbs "Tzatziki" sauce (see recipe below)
1/2 tsp greek seasoning
Chop chicken good w your fork. Add the "tzatziki"sauce and the seasoning. Makes 2 servings (or 1 serving possibly if you're further out).
"Tzatziki"
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1 peeled cucumber slice (1/2" thick)
1/2 tsp lemon juice (more if you like lemon-y)
Blend all together until smooth. Store leftover in fridge.

Thank you for posting the pics! You look AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL, and SO HAPPY and HEALTHY! Love your kitty too! Thank you also for sharing you diet and exercise info. I need to find me a yoga class! I'm struggling with getting in the exercise, partly a schedule issue and partly I just don't wanna! LOL! Guess I'm lazy by nature. I do enjoy walking and biking and have a gym membership but have trouble getting consistent in my work-out efforts. I have a lot of arthritis and that can hold me back too. I'm only 6 weeks post-op and my weight loss has already slowed down to a crawl, just 1 lb a week. If I hadn't been sleeved I be OK with that but now I want it to go faster! Of course I know I need to work at this a little harder than I have been, especially with getting more exercise. Your journey has really helped to inspire me! Blessings to you!
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I would like to have a figure like Salma Hayek or Catherine Zeta-Jones. Maybe Scarlett Johansen. No skin and bones for me. I want curves.

Body type never interested me. Brain type did and does.

Thanks for posting this. Very useful information.
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You are doing great and thank you so much for sharing your inspiring story!
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You are doing great and thank you so much for sharing your inspiring story!
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Ain't this the truth Happy Hump Day all.
Sleeve Date: March 28, 2013 Weight on surgery date: 281 First Goal 50lbs: July 13, 2013 (231)

Holy Cow - It's been 7 months!
My weight has pretty much stayed the same this last month and I'm quite okay with it I started at 231 lbs. and 'm holding steady at 143 lbs. Ideally, I'd like to lose 10 more pounds and I am working towards it. It will happen!
I was just in my friend's wedding this past weekend and it was so nice not to dread a formal event!! Last time this year, I dreaded stuff like this for weeks due to knowing I wouldn't have anything to wear and that there would be tons of pictures. My friend looked beautiful and I was able to focus on her wonderful day rather than being insecure and concerned about how I looked.
As you will see in the pictures below, my friends are super tiny...like 95-100 pounds tiny! They have been my friends since I was 5 and I had always felt insecure taking pictures with them...no one wants to be the fat friend! With that said, they have been extremely supportive. They have never made me feel bad about myself and when I told them I was having the surgery they were 100% supportive. They are so proud of me and I love them for it. I didn't tell every person I know that I had surgery, but I did tell my close friends and it was one of the best things I could have done. To me, the surgery was something to Celebrate and something to be proud of. I'm proud of my decision and how hard I've worked to lose the weight....I hope everyone else feels that same sense of pride! You are taking control of your life and it should be celebrated.
Thank you to the people who read my posts every month. You guys leave the nicest comments and I'm thankful for the support this forum has provided me with. Wishing everyone happiness and success with their surgery!
Jordyn
The pictures of me in the black dress is from a wedding last May...the pictures with the purple dress is from the wedding this past weekend with my beautiful friends

This has been my favorite breakfast of late, one lite toaster waffle topped with about 2 tablespoons of low fat ricotta cheese and some jam. Cook in toaster oven for about 5 minutes or until the ricotta cheese puffs up. You can use sugar-free preserves if you want. Peanut Butter is also good on a toaster waffle or english muffin in the morning.
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Be right back!! I'm of to costco to pick up Kleenex!!!

I've had the same primary care physician for 20+ years (rare in this day and age). I have an uncle who is a world renowned geneticist whose specialty is diabetes and obesity. I've managed to get the two of them in the same room on several occasions and the discussion and debate on this very issue is always evolving and ongoing.
One of the things my PCP realized that kind of swayed him away from the "it's all diet and exercise" opinion was a lunch he had with one of the trainers for the Seattle Seahawks. As he pointed out there are 300+ pound NFL linemen that spend 5 to 8 hours a day in the gym 300 days a year. They eat relatively healthy and far less calories than the average Olympic swimmer. Yet they remain technically, morbidly obese. The diet and exercise argument wouldn't put them that large if entirely true.
Yes some people have a very unhealthy relationship with food, it's one of many causes, but not the only cause. I think the reality is more of a blended issue. Many people fall into the category of not always eating the best, not always exercising optimally and having genetic issues and or a metabolism that is seriously dysfunctional. No one cause and no one solution outside more drastic measures like surgery.
I was one of those people that didn't battle weight most of my life. I graduated high school at 145lbs at 6'1". I was teased for being too skinny. I graduated high school and started going to the gym daily while taking weight gain shakes. I was working as a grocery store meat cutter which was a very, very physically intensive job throwing around 200lb boxes of meat all day. We worked in shirt sleeves in a 35 degree room. I think that cold temperature and the calories we needed to stay warm is what messed me up. But it didn't help that I got myself from 145lbs to 250lbs in 2 years. It was all muscle and I was built like a professional gym rat. But 6 days a week in those work conditions played a role.
Went to back to school, got a degree in technology and a desk job, wife and kids and went to the gym once a week instead of twice a day. Weight crept up, muscle disappeared and a few years later found myself getting sleeved and turning this around.
But then I look at my wife. 5'10" 135 lbs, size 6. She has out eaten me every single day we've been married (20+ years) and is within 5lbs of the size she was when we got married. Never exercises ever, eats crap, candy etc. If it were all diet and exercise she'd be 500lbs.

My name is Emily and I'm an addict .. Dude I got kicked out of an OA meeting for showing up with a box of doughnuts who knew.. i was just trying to be social