NewSetOfCurves

You look AMAZING!!! Congrats!!!

I didn't mean it that way dressie. Sorry if I came off rude. I was just trying to push the fact that if you searched you could find several threads with people's commentary to help in your quest for information. As far as searching, go to the "more" button on the bottom, far right. Good luck to you.

Didn't mean to offend anyone. I'm sorry if I didn't elaborate more. I meant if your younger you have a better chance, but genetics and size have a lot to do with it also. In my support group, I've met several younger folks in their 20's, some in their 30's (more men than women) that don't need plastics because of their genetics, youth, or they were at the bottom of the obesity chart. There are folks on here too that have abs and no plastics, but they are few and far in between the majority of us. I always had that "stretchy" skin, even as a youth. Get it from my father. My brother has it too. I'd probably still have to get plastics even if I didn't have my 4 kids. I plan on getting plastics once my weight has stabilized. My advice would be: (mentally) prepare yourself for the worst, hope for the best...that way you're not disappointed. I prepared myself ahead of time that I'd most likely have it and I wasn't devastated when that belly skin started to sag. The good thing--for me personally--is that you can't even tell with clothes on. Good luck to you all.

At this time last year I was two pounds shy of 250 pounds. I had spent 10+ years trying countless diets and dedicated myself to these little spurts of "exercise dedication". The diets never lasted and I never remained dedicated. Healthy foods were not a problem, I love all healthy foods; exercise wasn't a problem, I used to be certified as an aerobic instructor and weight trainer. The problem was that I loved ALL foods and I loved them in COPIOUS quantities. Another problem was time. Between a full time job as a high school English teacher, grading papers (115 students multiplied by x amount of assignments/ essays...yikes!); sponsoring the dance team (taking up 3 evenings of my week, including Friday football travels and arriving home after midnight); and being a mother of 4 kids (ranging from 2 to 10)...my life was pretty stressful. I struggled to manage my time to take the time to make healthy meals and exercise. Fast food was the quickest and easiest. No cooking time required and--even better--no clean up! Every year the weight crept up, reaching 200, 210, 220, 235. I couldn't stop it. In April, after I found out my aunt was getting the surgery, I decided I wanted to get it too. I thought, "Why wait until this gets even more out of control?" I did the research. At first I was adamant that I was going to get the lap band, but after extensive research and discovering so many horror stories, I decided to go for the sleeve--especially seeing that the bypass required supplementation for life (I have 4 kids for a reason folks!). My doctor agreed and on June 18th of 2013 I had the sleeve. I made changes at home. I spent my weekends preparing food for the week (like dicing fresh fruits and freezing them for homemade smoothies the whole family enjoyed for breakfast). I bought the kids bikes, baseball gear, volleyballs, and everything in between and my husband and I decided to make our weekends active ones at the park. I stopped buying junk food. Period. Including chips, sodas, juices, and any starchy and heavily carbed foods with no nutritional value. My whole family has benefited. Exercising has become a part of our weekly tradition, like going to church or going to work. It is a must and a priority. This surgery has not only changed my life, but the lives of my family as a whole. And I feel good that my kids will have a better foundation of healthier living because of it. It was worth every penny. Now, I have 15 to 20 pounds to go! I want to keep some of my curves, so I haven't decided how low I want to go in weight until I see how I look!

Woohoo! Hit the 150's to day...159 to be exact! Can't wait to hit goal!

If you search, you will find many threads on this very topic. That being said, I do want to reiterate what many have already vouched--via their own experience. If you are young, without children, and towards the bottom of the obese chart, you have the greatest chance of not having any excess left over skin. Your youth equals greater elasticity, lack of motherhood yields less over stretching of the skin, and numbers towards the bottom of the obesity chart means that your skin hasn't been stretched too much or too long (if you're young), for too many decades.

WOW!!! You look so much younger! Beautiful! Congrats!!!!

Congrats and good luck!

You look G R-R-E-E-A-A-A-T!!!! I'm around the same weight and size. I wish my tummy looked as great as yours! Congrats!!!!!

Thank you ribearty! I appreciate the compliment and I have to admit, I like broken records! Ha!!!

Exactly!!! Love it!!! Congrats on making those positive changes at home with kiddos! I think it's the best thing we can do as moms and it just reiterates the fact that this surgery is not only life changing for those of us he get it, but it can be life changing for our families as well.

Congrats to you! I can only imagine how awesome that feels! And all that weight loss!!!! What a success story you are becoming!!!!

Wrapping your head around having to let go of the one thing that brought you comfort is very scary. It's been your constant companion and you're forced to let it go cold turkey. However, it is issues within ourselves, not related to food, that we need to discover and deal with. Once that is complete, you have to arm your mind and constantly remind yourself that this addiction is slowly killing you. Arm your mind to protect yourself every time you have a craving, by finding a distraction, walking away, drinking a glass of water. The power is in your mind, you just have to utilize it. The sleeve makes it easier.

Any surgery is scary. Even when you look at the national numbers that state that there is a 2% chance of complications and even less percentage in mortality, it's still scary because you don't want that to be you. When I went searching for doctors I asked about their rate of patients who had complications, and if they had anyone die on the table or post op. I asked how many patients they had sleeved. I ultimately went with the doctor that seemed most passionate, up front and honest with me. My doctor even went to the extent of suturing over the staple line to even further minimize the risk of leaks. I task, he says, that only takes an extra 10 minutes that benefits his patients and himself. He talked about bougie size and why it's used and why you don't want to go to big or too small. He covered EVERYTHING and seemed so passionate that he gained my trust. I love my doctor and you should find one that treats his patients like an individual and not a number. That being said, this surgery is--like most people say on this site--life changing. It has been one of the most positive things in my life (other than my kids) and I would do it all over again. Good luck to you. Remember to arm yourself with knowledge, ask questions, and be picky about the doctor you choose. Oh...and thank you VERY much for the compliment!

You are GORGEOUS and looking FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!! Congrats!!! Keep it up!!!

I live in south Texas, in between San Antonio and Laredo. My family has lots of rental properties and are always in need employees to fill the cleaning staff. There is a BIG oil boom too. Lots of companies pay very, very well for all sorts of services, from cleaning staff to management. More than 20 hotels have gone up in the area, all short staffed. Message me. I can help you find a living situation and there is plenty of job opportunity.

I agree with kindle. I've used the Unjury and it does have a distinct flavor...there is no such thing as flavorless whey protein, but it can be masked. I don't know what stage you're at, or if your at a full diet, but soups, mashed potatoes, sf puddings, homemade smoothies, etc all hide the flavor pretty well.

Looking GOOD!!! You're doing GREAT!!! Keep it up girl!!!

Woohoo! That AWESOME!!! Congrats to you!

Went into single digits! Size 8 jeans!!!

Post a pic so we can see your hotness!!!

Everything you're experiencing is normal. However, everyone is different as far as the amount of time it takes to fully recover. My aunt, who is almost 30 years older than me, recovered a lot faster than me. The weakness is from the lack of calories and fluid. Sugar free Popsicles were my life savor during that time. If you're still suffering from gas pain, apply a heating pad to that area. It helps profusely. Good luck to you, and even though this is the worst part of post op, it will soon pass and you will be reaping the awards!!!

Stalls are inevitable. It happens to pretty much everyone. Accept it now to save yourself from unnecessary frustration. As long as if you're doing everything right, you should be doing fine. Keep up your workouts at the gym. Get ALL your water in. Calculate you calories, you might be getting too little in, especially with your 11/2 hour gym sessions. Too few calories causes your body to go into starvation mode and forces it to store calories. Training also causes fluid build up in the muscles. There is also the possibility of monthly cycles and the water retention that comes with that. There are SO MANY factors. Like I said, I wouldn't fret if you're following all the rules!

There is NOTHING better than having the ability to enjoy life to its fullest with your loved ones! Congrats on your decision and good luck on your journey!