livvsmum

Thank you! I started out at a size 18/20 and I am now a size 2. Never would have thought that possible. I lost quite quickly, reaching my initial goal of 145 in 10 months. Since then (I'm now 22 months post op) I've lost an additional 16 pounds, putting me at a "dream goal". But those last 15 pounds took quite a while to get off, probably because I wasn't really trying to actively lose at that point. This seems to be where my body has settled. Good luck to you!

wow you look great, when was ur surgery? September 2013. I am 20 months post op & 2 months post tummy tuck

how long between the before and after pics? The before pictures are the night before surgery. The after are this week, 20 months post op (2 months post tummy tuck) Thanks!!!

here are my 2 most recent. The first is a face comparison just because I think it's pretty crazy. And the other is from yesterday when I went out in the FRONT yard with my kiddos to soak up some vitimin D in my bikini top and my running skirt. I wasn't brave enough to go full bikini, but hey! It's still progress!!

Here are my most recent. One is a face comparison, because I just think it is so crazy the way weight loss changes your looks. And the other was yesterday when I went to soak in some vitimin d while my kids played outside in my bikini top. I did wear my running skirt just because I didn't want to scar the neighborhood...lol. But it felt pretty awesome!

Here are two of my newest One is face...I just feel like I look completely different. the other is from soaking in some vitimin d in the FRONT yard yesterday while my kids played. I didn't want to scare the neighborhood with the full bikini (lol) so I wore my running skirt with a bikini top, but it was so awesome to feel like I could go layout in my front yard without being mortified. :-)

I lost incredibly quickly, reaching my goal weight at 10 months post op. I've since gone on and with more effort lost an additional 15 or so pounds. I wouldn't even weigh yourself the first week or 2. You are pumped full of IV fluids in the hospital that you need to flush out, your body is still freaking out, and you are just adjusting. I remember weighing myself in the maybe end of the first week and lost very little. But after about a week and a half the weight started falling off. There definitely is an adjustment period. Hang in there!

I just went back through my progress charts and I lost 48.8 pounds in the first 2 months. If I had to think back to that time, I started out in a size 20 and at that point (between thanksgiving and christmas of my first year) I was probably in a size 14.

The answer to this question really depends on where you are in the post op cycle. I'll give you my typical day from the 2 years post op view, but you may be looking for something more immediate. Not sure.... Breakfast - Protein oatmeal most mornings from bariwise, and of course coffee. OR iced caramel latte (small) with skim milk and sugar free syrup (but not both the oatmeal and the latte....that would be way too many carbs) Nothing between breakfast and lunch Lunch - Usually a version of a salad with grilled chicken, maybe a hard boiled egg chopped up with it for extra protein,, and a fat free dressing. I always eat the chicken off first and then have just a little room for salad after that. Something else that I like, depending on whether our cafe at work is open or not, is a scoop of chicken salad, a tiny salad, and 2 saltine crackers to scoop the chicken salad up with. Afternoon - I usually have a snack of some sort - either a snack sized protein shake, a greek yogurt, a fat free cheese stick, peanuts, etc. dinner - Usually whatever I make for my family, just in smaller portion and I eat the protein part of the meal first. If they are having Pasta, I avoid that altogether (or pizza) and saute up some shrimp with lite soy sauce. That's a quick and easy go-to single serving meal for me. I throw in a few pieces of frozen broccoli and it's delicious. Evening Snack - I try to avoid this altogether, but sometimes my family is snacking and I just can't resist. I keep sugar free popsicles, protein pudding from bariwise, peanuts, fat-free cheese stick, or sugar free Jello on hand for these kinds of cravings.

I'll be 2 years post op in September and have met and exceeded my initial goal, losing 15 pounds more than I thought I would, ending at a pretty happy weight. I've done so by still pretty much sticking to the "rules". I see it as a change in the way I eat, not just a change until I get to goal and then back to "normal". I have a new normal. For the most part (now I have my weak moments like everyone else), if it doesn't have a nutritional value, I usually don't eat it. I probably could eat larger portions, but I stop before I get uncomfortable. You KNOW if you've eaten to your capacity, at least I do. And it's not a pleasant feeling. What becomes easier and more of a danger that I have to to watch out for is grazing. It's much easier after you are fully healed to graze or snack all day. Those small things here and there add up. As for calories, I still use MFP daily and I usually do not go over 1,000 calories. I am usually closer to 800. Plus the Water. Water definitely helps curb the appetite too. If you're drinking 100 oz of water a day you don't have room (or the desire) for 2 pieces of pizza and a soda.

129.8 for me

Thank you! I had a panniculectomy and tummy tuck. I am in the process of appealing a denial for a brachioplasty (arm lift). The recovery from the TT was ROUGH. In retrospect, I would do it all over again because the results were amazing (I think there are pictures in my profile), but it is definitely WAY more difficult of a recovery than the WLS itself and I would say even more difficult of a recovery than childbirth. :-) BUT again, like I said, the results are so worth it once you get past that first few weeks. I'm 2.5 months post op on the TT and still wearing full compression and sometimes my ab binder (mainly when I'm at home) and my abs are still sore. My surgeon told me it takes a good 6 months or so for the ab soreness to go away.

I use miralax or MOM at least a couple of times a week to stay "normal". I had some problems after my TT/panni where I didn't and I had a blockage and that was the WORST thing ever, so now I do anything to stay "normal" :-) I don't get nearly enough fiber in my diet as a WLS patient on the high protein/low carb diet (I'm sure others are better at it than I am), so they have been my life-saver. Don't let it go too long!

For me, the absolute biggest factors to my success with the surgery were these two things. 1. I stuck to the "plan" to a "t" in the first 10 months or so until I reached goal. I mean, I didn't stray at all. It just wasnt' an option for me. Lots of Protein, no more than 40 carbs, and 100 oz Water. 2. This is probably the bigger one. Around 7 months, I don't know what happened, but something clicked (in a bad way) and it was a LOT harder to pass up things that I should pass up. At that point I sought out therapy with an eating disorder therapist because I didn't work so hard to just throw it all away. I feel with a lot of certainty that had I not done the hard (I mean HARD) emotional work to figure out my eating issues (that coincidentally have very little to do with food) I would have started regaining at that point. My therapist is awesome, and at almost 2 years post op, I still see her weekly. If you can't commit to therapy at this point, at the very least I would recommend getting and reading (RIGHT NOW) "When food is Love" by Geneen Roth....absolutely changed my life. Good luck to you!

I think it's normal to have doubts as your surgery gets closer because it becomes more real. For me, very early on, on my blog, I made a post-surgery "bucket list" post with all of the things I wanted to do after surgery that I couldn't do at that time, and all of the reasons I wanted it. When I had my freak out about 2 weeks before surgery, I went back to that post and reminded myself of why I made the decision that I have made. I've gone back to that post many times since then - mainly to mark thinks off as "accomplished" . I would encourage you to make a list of the reasons you want the surgery and what you hope to accomplish from it. Revisit it whenever you are having doubts.

Count me in! I blew the last challenge. My lowest weight so far has been 123 and I'm up to 129. My goal is to get back down to that lowest weight and I'd really like to go no higher than 125. So.... Starting weight: 129 Goal weight: 123

I was an avid runner -training for a marathon- before my TT & panni. Now at 8 weeks post op I finally felt strong enough in my core to go for a run. I only went 2 miles, it hurt like hell, and I'm still feeling it a day later. But I'm getting back out there tomorrow morning again. I have a 1/2 marathon in October that I need to formally start training for (starting at 3 miles) on July 27. Has anyone had a TT/panni & returned to running? How long did you wait? How did you ease back into it? How long until your core didn't hurt anymore when you ran? Any thoughts or advice is appreciated.

I know during the pre-op stage it can be incredible difficult and you may be questioning your decision or struggling through the pre-op diet, wondering if you will ever get through your insurance requirements, wondering if it will even work or be worth it. I thought I would post really quickly with some encouragement. I know everyone's experience is different, but for me, the sleeve surgery, and the abdominoplasty to remove excess skin after losing 155 pounds, were the VERY best decisions I have every made in my life. And...the proof is in the pictures! I posted the following in another forum, but thought that someone here might benefit from it as well. You can also see my blog (in my signature line and linked in the text here for all of the ups and downs of my journey from the 1st pre op appointment in Jan. 2013 to today. Hope this helps someone!!! :-) I am now 1 year and 9 months post op. I reached my goal weight at about 10 months post op (140-145) and in the year since then I've felt that things have been moving very slowly. Well, I was ordering a dress online the other day and I had to take my measurements. I hadn't taken then since reaching goal weight almost a year ago. I was shocked to see that even though it felt painstakingly slow, I lost an additional 20 pounds and 22 inches in the past year, putting me at my "dream goal" and feeling pretty freaking amazing. My husband and I just got back from our anniversary getaway and we took a picture together. When I got home I decided to see if you could really tell a visable difference from me at 1st goal weight and dream goal weight a year later and I think you can. I was pretty surprised. I'm feeling super happy at my weight and health and fitness level right now, and having kept it off for nearly 2 years I"m feel pretty good about the prospects long term as well. Well then I decided to go a little crazy, and I went back and found my anniversary pictures from the past 5 years and decided to do side-by-side comparisons. I'll only include the one from last year (goal weight) to this year (dream goal weight) AND one from my highest weight (278.4) to now (125), but if you want to see the rest of them, just click on the link here to the blog post with all the pictures from the past 5 anniversaries: "The Proof Is In the Pictures" Post Here is goal (June 12, 2014) to dream goal (June 12, 2015) and highest weight - 278.4 (June 12, 2013) to dream weight - 125 (June 12, 2015). Enjoy!

Thank you! :-) You are at the hardest part now, hang in there!

So I was approved for my tummy tuck and panniculectomy in April of this year and had the surgery quickly after approval. At the same time they submitted for my brachioplasty, which was denied. I didn't stress too much because the TT was really my first priority, but while I was recovering from the TT I put together my appeal to send in to the insurance company, which ended up being 80 pages (lol....ooops). They received it on June 1 and told me I would have a decision via mail no later than 30 days later (which would be June 30). I am dying here. They are taking their good old time!!! I guess that is what I get for submitting an 80-page appeal. Waiting is the worst! Now that I'm mostly healed from the TT I'm ready to get on with this and complete my plastics! I don't know what I will do if they deny it again! I guess there is a 3rd level appeal you can do, but I don't what else I can provide them with. We shall see I guess.,

I was fortunate to have my abdominoplasty and panni fully covered. I guess I will just have to pay out of pocket for the arms. I think it will be much cheaper than the tt & panni, so that is a good thing.

Yes exactly truly the best to let yourself have the space to recover and listen to your body. Who'd have thunk it? Not me anyhow. That it would make me sad to NOT exercise! I know, right! I've been dying to try a barre class too for my xtraining days, and I know my abs would weep if I put them through that right now. lol. It's frustrating!

I really wanted to get back out there today, but I was just hurting so much that I couldn't bring myself to it. Maybe this afternoon. I guess the biggest thing is just listening to your body and not pushing too hard too fast. At least that's what I'm going with. It's so frustrating though because I"m dying to get out there and get training. Ugh.. Patience .....

The panniculectomy alone is just skin removal- basically the pannis hanging below the belly button. It doesn't really deal with anything above the belly button, lipo, tightening, or muscle repair. It is JUST skin removal. Luckily my ins covered both the tummy tuck & panni. So the TT pulls the upper skin down, a little fat removal on the sides if you need it & sewing together (repair) of the ab muscles. It also involved a new cute little belly button for me :-) I think the amount of muscle repair varies. For me it was extensive, but I had four babies all over 9 pounds and that combined with carrying around 155 excess pounds left me with very weak, thin, stretched out ab muscles. It still hurts in there, but it's so worth it. I don't know if I would have just gotten the panni without the TT

Three things: 1. Stick to the plan. Resolve yourself to it. Don't plan on just eating the same food just smaller portions. That won't work. For me the first 10 months were "to a 't'" at least 65g Protein, no more than 35 g carbs & at least 100 oz Water. That's it. Simple. 2. Do the hard emotional work to figure out what your food issues are really about because they're probably not really about food. I've written a lot about how I've gone about doing this in my blog. I try to be as honest as possible. Check it out if you're interested in more on that. 3. Realize that your sleeve won't "make you" lose weight & it certainly won't "make you" keep the weight off. The extent to which you are successful depends on the amount of work you're willing to do & HOW you use your sleeve. Good luck!