Vixynne

I had my surgery July 29. I have been fluctuating with the SAME 3-5 lbs since December. I've been doing cardio and weight training so I upped my calories from 800 to 1000. What's everyone else doing? I'm stuck & frustrated. I'm wondering if I 'broke' my sleeve. I don't think any of us have broken our sleeves--we're just going into a new phase where we've lost and lost and lost quite a bit of weight. Our bodies have learned to adjust to fewer calories and higher activity levels, so now, we're like skinny people--we gotta fight for every half pound. My dietician explained it by pointing out that when I was 238 lbs, my body needed a larger number of calories even "at rest". At 158, there's 80 lbs less of me to fuel, so I need a lot fewer calories at rest. My options are either eat fewer calories (which would be tough since I'm not eating all that many nowadays!) or to move a lot more. She recommended weight resistance (hand weights, or using your body weight to do lunges, planks, pushups, etc.) since muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat does. Our sleeves are still doing their jobs, you didn't break anything...we just have to work a whole lot harder now. But we can absolutely get there--even half a pound at a time, or up one pound, down a half, up three, down two. Hang in there, July sleevers!

Hey there, Cowgirl! You're looking pretty fab yourself!!! Can you believe it's been 8 months already!? You're in a size 8, I'm in a 10 (striving for that single digit size), and life is goooooood. Congrats on your awesome results!

Just passed the 8 month mark (surgery was July 1st) and I'm down 80 lbs. so far. My ultimate goal of 135 is a little ways away; I'm hovering at 158 right now and 23 pounds sometimes feels like such a HUGE distance left to go, especially at only 1/2 pound a week. I'm absolutely astounded at how my body has changed! I'm down from a 20/22, to a size 10. My feet aren't extra-wide any more either; hooray for being able to buy cute shoes and regular-calf-sized boots, instead of what my kids call "mémé shoes"! I agree that my eyes and brain haven't yet caught up with what the mirror shows. In dressing rooms I stand there with my jaw hanging open: "Who is THAT, because it can't be me!" I have sagging skin on my underarms, batwings galore. My belly pouch is the only thing keeping me back from being a size 8, but I'm almost positive my insurance won't be willing to cover it The belly skin is only enough to be annoying and unsightly, but not enough to cause health problems--so, thank God for Spanx! Here I am the day of my surgery, and three days ago, enjoying my new favorite activity--trying on clothes! (Clicking the thumbnails makes 'em bigger and less warped.)

You beat me to it--I remember back in July, when I was newly post-op and couldn't STAND drinking water, that someone here posted about the surface tension of plain water being rough on our sleeves. I agree, too, that Mio or Dasani Flavor Drops, or Crystal Light powder, all seem to help make the water less painful when your sleeve is still healing. Four weeks post-op is early days for that healing process; take a few of the tips offered so far and see which ones work for you. I promise the discomfort will get better, and it'll become easier to get your fluids in. I still miss being able to "chug" water; I used to be able to guzzle down a whole bottle of it in one breath! No more of that, though--nowadays I can do about three or four big sips before my sleeve says, "slow down there, missy!" Let us know what works for you!

Those are the ones I use, too--but I use the CVS generic version. Love 'em! Only about $12 for a HUGE bottle; I take two per day. But the Vitamin that has helped me the most so far has been my sublingual Vitamin B...I take a megadose of 5000mcg per day and it has made a GIGANTIC difference in my mood (no more winter blahs), my sleep quality, and my energy levels.

I'm a HUGE fan of the chocolate brownie flavor Quest bars--they are my morning Breakfast of choice on workdays. The other flavors? Not so much--either the taste or the texture just doesn't do it for me. But don't get between me and my breakfast brownie, LOL! Here's a direct cut-and-paste of what their website says about the sweeteners they use. Keep in mind that if you're sensitive to one of these, each flavor of Quest may or may not use the one that triggers the "bombing run"! A plant that's been used as a sweetener in China for over 1,000 years. It only takes a TINY amount as it's 300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia is an herb in the Chrysanthemum family which grows wild as a small shrub in many parts of the world. The glycosides in its leaves, account for its sweetness and it has been used as a sweetener in many countries for many years. While Erythritol is classified as a sugar alcohol it is ENTIRELY different than all of the others. It does not upset stomachs, it contains only 0.2 calories per gram and has little to no impact on blood sugar. We know it's important to give you control over your nutrition which is why select QuestBars are sweetened with Stevia and Erythritol, and our Original Line is sweetened with Sucralose. Sucralose is generally recognized as the best artificial sweetener available. It's over 600 times sweeter than sugar so it's used in almost microscopic amounts.

I'm going to be 8 months out tomorrow (holy cow, 8 months already!?) and so far I have to say EVERY ache, pain, moments of queasiness and tears have been totally worth it. That being said--I wish I had known: that the mirror and my new clothing size would show me truth, and yet my brain still lies and sees "fat girl"! that seeing collarbones unveiled from their layer of fat for the first time in two decades could bring me to tears. that my eyes still want much more food than my sleeve can hold, and I STILL need to remind myself to slooooooow down during meals. that drinking (or even sipping) while eating is would be the hardest habit to break!! how much I would miss guzzling a bottle of Water all at once. Three swallows is all I can handle at a time now! how much FUN it is to jog up three flights of stairs at work, without feeling like coughing up my lungs or stopping to rest along the way. Wow...just wow! I LOVE my post-sleeve life!! Going nowhere but up, baby!

Alex, I apologize in advance for the length of this post. Here are a few things I wondered/thought of to ask you about the local groups: Where would these meetings be held? How long would each meeting run per session? How often would meetings be held? As a teacher, my daytime availability is limited from September to summertime, but I would still love to be a leader--would that be possible for me?Regarding size of each chapter--I would think as long as there are enough members interested and regularly attending, small groups would be acceptable; groups of more than 25 might need more than one leader, to organize and interact effectively with all members. In my opinion, co-leaders would be helpful across the board, really, since there's a good chance that now and then a leader may be sick or unavailable. Co-leaders could help cover for one another to make sure the meetings still happen when life gets in the way. Also, co-leaders may have different strengths; although I'm a teacher, I'm not a nurse. If I were paired with a nurse, our group would get double the benefit...and I'm a sleever. Having a partner that's a bypass patient would make our group stronger for our members.As a teacher, I definitely thing having a "core curriculum" across-the-board set of agendas from BariatricPal might be very helpful, as long as there is some freedom built in to the agendas to allow groups a chance to tailor them to individual concerns/needs. I think it's a good idea to have a common basis to start from as we get groups up and running. It would also ensure that BariatricPal's presence or "branding" is consistent and unifying; rather than a collected hodgepodge of disorganized WLS groups. Along those lines, I think agendas that divide by topic would be a great idea. For instance, a meeting agenda that covers general nutrition guidelines to begin the meeting; then after that introduction, the group could break up into smaller sub-groups to talk about the different nutritional needs between bypass and sleeve post-op patients, and then get back together to discuss healthy recipes or share great websites for developing their own post-op recipes for a whole family to enjoy. The wrap-up could be a question-and-answer period either based on that meeting's topic, or based on questions and concerns for that particular group. Another meeting agenda might be about the mental and emotional challenges that WLS'ers face post-op and sharing ways to combat things like "head hunger" and less-than-supportive friends and family members. Another one might be geared towards offering inexpensive ways to get more active (like using one's body weight to exercise if joining a gym is financially unreasonable or emotionally daunting). It might also be a good idea to have chapters organized into districts (if there's enough interest to have multiple groups in an area) and the leaders in each district could consider developing newsletters to publish information on events and celebrations/milestones for members. Would it make sense to develop a system to reward members who attend regularly, to encourage active attendance? A similar idea: could there be a way to formally recognize members for hitting milestones in their journey? Even something small like a ribbon or a lapel pin, or a keychain, can be very motivating to receive when you've worked hard to reach a goal. They could be organized by weight loss or BMI milestones (moving from obese to "overweight" is a big one for me personally!), or becoming a "veteran" WLS-er--recognizing the 3 month post-op milestone, the 6-month post-op, the year, etc. Sometimes recognizing those NSV's is what gets us through a stall, or keeps us from feeling like we're falling behind everyone else.Thanks for taking the time to think about offering BariatricPal groups in "real life", Alex! I hope this is a successful venture, I know it could definitely help a LOT of people.

I would definitely be interested in being a leader or co-leader in my area. I live in Southeastern Massachusetts; the local area includes New Bedford, Wareham and Fall River. I am a teacher and really enjoy meeting people; getting to share ideas and experiences in person would be fantastic! During the summer, my availability would be quite open; during the school year I could certainly do monthly or twice-monthly meetings during evenings or weekends. I'd love to develop group activities like Couch-to-5K , joining Color Runs/ROC Races, or charity walks/runs, as well as addressing the educational aspects of pre- and post- WLS living.

I was sleeved in July 2013, and had no complications. I'm about a week away from 8 months post-op, and I can honestly say I have NO regrets. I was well-prepared for the changes sleeve surgery would bring, thanks to counseling and group lifestyle classes provided by my surgeon's office. Talking to veterans here, and reading as much as I could about the surgery beforehand seemed to give me a solid foundation for moving forward with very few doubts. Yeah, I had butterflies the size of pterodactyls the whole 24 hours prior to surgery, but I knew I was doing the right thing for me, and I had a great surgical team, not to mention really fantastic emotional support from my loved ones. Although I'm not the fastest loser, nearly 8 months later, I've gone from 238 to 158 pounds. My BMI is down to 29, from a high of 43. (It would be even lower, if I weren't so dang short--being only 5'2" is a pain sometimes!) I have less than 30 pounds before I reach my goal weight. On surgery day, I was easily wearing 20/22 clothes and feeling awful about myself. Today I'm rockin' some size 10 jeans and size medium tops, and I never feel depressed or defeated when I see my reflection anymore. Sure, I've got some loose skin; two C-sections many years ago have left me with a kangaroo pouch that aggravates me--but I would MUCH rather have loose skin than look and feel--emotionally and health-wise-the way I did 8 months ago. Weight loss has slowed WAAAAAY down now. I lose maybe half a pound to a pound per week; sometimes less. There have been plenty of week that I lost no weight at all. At first that bothered me, but I've put my scale away and broken my addiction to obsessive weighing. Now I only check my weight about once a month. If it goes down, great--if not, I ramp up protein/exercise or exercise more intensely or more often. My dietician and surgeon assure me that I'm well within the normal curve, and that this slow-down is just what to expect from about the 6-month mark onward. The scale CAN keep moving down; I just need to work at it more now, and I don't mind that. I'm living like a skinny girl--which is what I always wanted!! I have so much more energy now. Moving doesn't hurt; standing up teaching all day doesn't hurt. I can dash up three flights of stairs and NOT feel like passing out. I'm turning 45 next month, but I feel 20 again. This surgery is a HUGE step, a massive change to your body and your relationship with food. I wish my insurance had allowed me to take that step years ago, but I'm so grateful and happy that I did it when I did!! Nope, no regrets, not a single one. I'm an advocate for sleeve surgery for those who need it to finally beat their obesity. I talk about it to anyone who asks. I'm proud of what I've accomplished, and happy to share my experiences with anyone who stands still long enough to listen.

...is there anyone you're eager to see envying all the progress you make post-op? I know, I know, it's petty and one of the Seven Deadly Sins, but I have to admit there are a few people who I'll enjoy watching, as they turn a lovely shade of green when I reach my goal. I skipped my 25th high school reunion this year, because I wasn't happy with the way I looked; and I didn't want to put on a brave face in front of the catty girls from my teen years--but when the 30th rolls around, it's going to be a different story. I'll be there, with bells on, baby! I'm also in the midst of a divorce after 20+ years; by Christmas, not only will I be shedding my own ugly fat, but I'll be automatically 270 lbs. lighter without my ex, too. It's going to be nice, gradually unzipping the fat suit that I've wrapped myself up in over the last two decades, stepping out of that jiggly mess and moving ON! That's going to be my "living well revenge"...how about you?

Progress pic--heading towards six months post op, here's my before and after, so far. Down to 168 from 238 (HW). Wearing size 12, instead of size 20/22! My BMI is just a few pounds away from leaving the "obese" category forever. Living well, loving my sleeve, and SO glad I made the decision to change my lifestyle and my body!

That's not a typo, it's a brand, LOL--has anyone here tried Krave Jerky? I'm looking at their sampler and wondering if it's worth the $35 to try several flavors. http://www.kravejerky.com/sampler.htm

...considered or used the Essure procedure for birth control post-op? It's permanent birth control, but non-hormonal and doesn't involve surgery. It's an option I'm looking at for post-op peace of mind, since I have two kiddos already and I'd be content with having a permanent solution for birth control. http://www.essure.com/

Friend request sent (from Denise Ashworth)!

I bet you're in post-op recovery now--thinking of you and sending wishes for a speedy recovery!

That's a great way to put it, Kary--it really is a new language. We're learning to speak "Sleevish", I guess! I'm not quite fluent yet, but I'm getting a little better at it each day.

I know, I felt the same way--I have two tubs of milk-based Syntrax nectar vanilla and cookie flavor, not to mention a full tub of milk-based UNflavored Syntrax! It might just be a temporary sensitivity, and then your powder won't be wasted. I'm so frustrated--everything I bought for post op liquids/purees contains dairy. Cream soups: milk ingredients. Pre-made pudding cups: milk ingredients. The only up side is that I can make powdered sugar free Jell-O Pudding with almond milk and that shouldn't trigger my lactose issues. Hang in there, we'll get through this!

I had a fever for the first three days home--but it resolved itself pretty quickly. My doc's advice was to use the incentive spirometer/take lots of deep breaths, because the fever *could* be my body's response to a little fluid in the lungs--deep breaths will break that up before it becomes pneumonia (which NOBODY wants). Doing more walking and deep breathing for a day or so took care of the fever, and it hasn't returned. I'm now totally off the Lortab.