Indigo1991

This isnt just about skin - you need to start on exercises to tighten up your core muscles - and that might include weights! If you have an instructor at the gym, ask him or her and they will give you exercises that will lift those muscles and help with the muffin top. Might not make it all go away but it will make a real difference if you get your core working :-)

This may not be much consolation but post op you are going to have a period of liquid only - this is good practice! Seriously, hang in there, don't lose the place over a few handfuls of nuts. Just don't repeat it today, tomorrow or any day between now and surgery. You aren't cheating, you are just making things a bit more difficult for yourself when you don't need to. Start tomorrow with a clean slate, put this behind you and good luck. Nothing about this surgery is easy but, 11 weeks out, let me tell you it will be worth all the hassle you are going through now :-)

You will do fine if you ask for advice/help then respect the answer. What upsets a lot of vets is that new sleevers may actually know the answer but are choosing to ignore it! For example "my doc says I should do X but I don't see why..." Am sure you can see why people get irritated if someone isn't listening to the professionals who did the surgery. If your car's brakes were failing, you would go to a garage and if they said don't drive, you wouldn't. Same with your new stomach - if you are given information on what to do, then follow it and life will be easier. That aside, those of us who are sleeved were where you are. I am always happy go offer support and advice as are the majority of others. This is the best thing I have done for myself but it isn't something to undertake lightly or treat casually afterwards. This forum can fill in lots of the gaps when things happen that catch you out or you are unsure about - and you will make friends who know exactly how you feel. So keep an open mind - and best of luck with your surgery, hope it goes really well for you :-)

Planning is the key. I knew what I was going to take in with me by way of food and drink each day - you will be surprised how easy it is to do once you are organised. Even now, 11 weeks out, I still think about what to take in and sit with a 2l bottle of Water on my desk to remind myself to drink! Good luck, you will be fine :-)

My "favourite" thing said to me at the moment is "you must have so much more energy". When pressed, people are really asking can I now do more than I used to be able to as a fatter person, which included running a company, running a home, doing voluntary work, having a social life and dating, a angst other things? Mmmm, no.... I've only lost weight, I haven't managed to fit more hours in my day :-)

If ur surgeon says sip, u should take his advice, he probably has more experience of this surgery than we do :-) At ur stage, everything in ur stomach is numb and healing. Just because u can get all that liquid amd dont feel pain doesn't necessarily mean u r doing the right thing. As the feeling comes back, trust me, the restriction will kick in and u r likely to be in pain if u keep swigging away. U dont feel full just now because u r drinking liquid that doesnt stay long in ur new pouch. Listen to ur doc, give ur stomach a chance to heal. Protein is tougher to get down as u get on to soft foods then solids. Remember, this isn't a sprint, u r in this for the long haul :-)))) Good luck!

You do need Protein to lose weight but I have never had a Protein shake and have lost 40lbs in 10 weeks. From the start, I looked into how I could maximise my protein (including doing things like fortifying my milk etc, picking high value proteins) so that I could eat "normally" from the start - I didn't want to have to wean myself off Protein drinks. Nor did I want to treat my new way of eating as a diet - being sleeved is a way of life and i wanted to start as I meant to go on. And it is working for me.... So I would encourage you to find ways to get protein in, especially if you are now sick of the shakes! It is do-able it just takes thought, effort and a bit of planning. Good luck!!!

Glad to have been of some help - and now you know you aren't the only one eating small pieces! I am 10 weeks out and I was a bit embarrassed about it to begin with when eating in front of other people. But it's what works best for me... And it does seem to help me eat a reasonable amount of food. Very happy to have been sleeved, good to talk someone who's done well over a longer period :-)

Also make sure u r getting all ur fluids in. And don't worry, this will pass :-) Stalls happen with sleeves, just keep doing what u r doing ...

I do eat small pieces of food and chew it to oblivion as per nutritionist's instruction - he said chew it, chew it again and when u think u can't chew it any more, chew it one more time. So I suppose food is going down almost as liquid. I eat at a slow but steady pace. I will pause occasionally and when I eat, I try not to be doing anything to distract me. Otherwise that's when I eat too fast or without chewing enough with painful consequences! Your weight loss is great and u can drink. Wish I has some magic solution to help...

Guilds should have read fluids, lol!!!

Wow! That sounds pretty restricted! I am 10 weeks out and can eat 2/3 oz of Protein (chicken or similar), bit of tomato and a couple of tablespoons of mash at a sitting. I try to eat three meals a day, with a couple of Snacks (banana, cracker with cheese). But that's not always the case every day. Yesterday, I couldn't eat my whole portion of porridge, today I could. Can't eat rice, Pasta, salad, red meat but can eat small portions of chicken, egg, fish and minced beef, cooked veggies, Soups etc. It means I can go out with friends for meals and although I eat like a bird compared to them, I feel my portions are getting better. Everyone's different but if you are asking, do you feel you should be eating more and can't? How's your weight loss? Can you drink your guilds easily?

Same BMI as u to start, height 5'2 and weight 207 - 10 weeks out today, 40lbs down and I don't think that's too shabby! Weightloss has been steady, I have drunk water and eaten exactly as per the instructions. No drama with the scales as i weigh myself no more than once a week. Have had a couple of weeks with no weight loss but stayed calm and, as everyone says, it passes. Have 27lbs to go and I intend to keep doing more of the same! But being sleeved is the best thing I have ever done for myself - good luck :-)

Sleeved 4/26, as of today down 40lbs since surgery plus 16lbs Pre surgery. Can't remember last time I felt this good or happy :-)

Noticed some people's Sleeves have names.... Does yours and does it help to name them? I gave my arthritis a name - Arthur - and it did help when it was bad to be able to complain to him personally :-)))))

Congratulations! Your description of your boobs pre surgery is exactly what mine look like now, lol. After a bad reaction to the anaesthetic during my sleeve, I was initiallynreluctant to do any more. But as I shrink, the boobs have gotta go!!! Hope you do post pics as u go, but u sound remarkably well and happy already.

I don't call it a diet, it's now just how I eat to stay healthy - the new "normal". Never want to use the word "diet" again.... :-) Good luck when u get sleeved, I have no regrets, it has changed my life!

Congratulations!!! Pleased to hear you are doing great, hope ur health is well too. Am now 9 weeks out and my arthritis continues to give me no trouble. Was in New Orleans recently for a weeks holiday and walked for hours every day. The combo of weight loss and arthritis in remission meant I wasn't exhausted and didn't miss doing one thing :-))) Hope everyone else is making good progress!

On Monday I have my first date since my sleeve 8 weeks ago. In fact it's my first date in almost 33 years, lol. Husband and I spilt 3 years ago and I haven't been confident enough to date - until now. Thank u sleeve. But am absolutely terrified!!! Any words of encouragement????

Thank you all for the encouragement and advice. This is a whole new world but I am going to be me :-)))) LI Gemini NY, he doesn't know I've been sleeved, not sure that will be a conversation for a first date - but who knows! We are going to a lively bar in the city which, even on a Monday, should have some atmosphere. The clothes thing is a big question. It's a fairly casual bar, but I still want to look good. My body has changed hugely, even after a 34 lbs loss, and I am down 4-5 clothes sizes - but I still have the girls.... was fitted for a new bra and I am looking va-voom lol! But not sure what to wear, so will be spending a large part of the day doing a private fashion show to myself. Not that I have a lot of clothes to choose from :-)

Omg, hadnt even factored S.E.X in - just crippled going through door of bar. But thanks for making me laugh :-))))

Love it - thanks for sharing, lol!!!!!

Janice, it's a month out, you and your body have been through a lot physically and emotionally. You may not like how your body looks now, but who's to say what it will look like in another month or three months? This is very early in your journey for you to believe that your body won't change further and that you are stuck with a body you appear to hate. I didn't mentally prepare myself in case I didn't like my body post-surgery, didnt cross my mind, so I think there are issues you need to address with your psych. For what it is worth, my body shape started to sort itself out in week 7 and my waist has finally come back into proportion with the rest of me. But that may change a few more times before I reach my goal and I am going to go with it.... Give it time, but don't leave the site and cut yourself off from people to talk to.

Poor you - but you've just written the blueprint for what happened to many of us in the first few days. You are not alone! I sobbed for almost a whole day three days post-op, thinking I had ruined my life, but that passed. I couldn't lie down for 10 days but that passed too. My stomach growled and spasmed but I eventually got the hang of knowing when it needed food and when it was digesting. The first week is the worst, the first month is hard for a lot of people. Yes, there are lots of folk who are bouncing around after a few days - but I wasn't, lol. So hang in there, this too will pass! I am 8 weeks out and haven't been healthier or happier in years :-))))

Speak to your doc sooner rather than later. Dizziness on rising could be low blood pressure and dizziness/ headache could be dehydration. But we ain't docs so get professional advice just to be safe :-)