Comfy_Blue

I decided to get the sleeve because after doing (mostly internet) research, I learned the sleeve had a lot of complications like being too tight or too loose. I didn't like the idea of having to go in to be re-filled every 1 -2 months (my friend has the band and that has been her experience). I also read about the band slipping, eroding the stomach and that most banders end up having it removed and/or getting a revision surgery such as the gastric bypass or the sleeve. To me, the sleeve just seems more natural. It's still my stomach, just smaller. No foreign objects, sleevers are supposed to experience little to no dumping syndrome. What made the decision for me was attending an information session with my surgeon.

Thank you for this article. I wish I had found this when I was in the pre opt stages. Another emotional aspect of WLS I did not expect was guilt. I feel bad sometimes that the people around me are still heavy and/or gaining weight as I continue shrinking. I know how hard it is because I used to a,ways be "the biggest one" and i would feel so envious of thin people it would make me want to cry/punch a wall at the unfairness sometimes. I also heard about jealousy and extra attention but didnt think people would notice or say much. Not the case at all. It's funny because the people I want to notice I am slim don't (like my friend who lost 50lbs after high school whereas I gained 100lbs) and the people I don't really care about are the ones who notice and say something.

I would try to reschedule it at the next (and soonest) available date. The fact that when i went to my second appointment that i already had my sleepnstudy, endoscopy, proof of six months structured weight loss program, psych evaluation etc already completed moved me along at lightening fast speed. I began my journey Oct. 31. I was sleeved on Dec. 23. Everyone is different, but personally i wanted to be sleeved as soon os possible because my mind was finally in the right place and had i have waited i might have gotten cold feet or allowed the process to drag on and on.

Every time I get on the scale I am shocked to see it steadily going down because I still have this irrational fear that the last pound I lost will be my last or (as with every other diet I've ever tried) I will see the scale drop awhile and steadily climb back up. I knew there was a risk that it might not work or even that I might gain the weight back, but to me it was worth the chance that this might change my life, versus if I didn't have the surgery, I knew I would crash diet the rest of my life and eventually hit 300+ I have been focusing on making positive changes and better eating choices in my life incase by some loooooooooooooooong shot my new banana belly stops working. I'm sure I would gain back some weight but not as much as I did in the past because I have sincerely been making some awesome lifestyle changes including identifying my trigger foods (Sodas, Starbuck's vanilla Latte, lemon flavored cake/cookies, pizza, Powerade) and I avoid them like the plague. I do most of my own cooking instead of eating 2 - 3 meals out each day. I take my four multi-Vitamins at different intervals during the day, my B - 12 and Calcium chew. I work with a therapist to help elevate the anxiety and stress that helped me to put on 100lbs in ten years. I am lightly - moderately active each day. These things give me peace and help soothe my worries about the sleeve not working. As for the amount of weight loss, whenever I start to feel that it's not enough fast enough, my pre-opt self whispers "if you gained 2lbs in a week, you'd be pissed and beat yourself up then binge. so why are you pissed and acting like losing 2lbs is nothing?"

Only the largest incision point really bothered me. It hurt to lay in that side. Not excrutiating but sore like a bad bruise. What was worse was the stomach spasms. Whenever i would swallow, i would get what felt like gas rising up in my stomach then jt would sit in my chest and burn for 10 - 30 seconds, then go away. This started the day after my operation and lasted about two weeks. I am now two months out and the worse i get it a little twinge around my largest incision scar. I would say i was feeling little to no pain around my third week.

So...i had typed a long, heart felt answer, then my Ipad decided to randomly close the internet browser and I lost everything. So...the gist of what I said was I understand where you are coming from. It did seem to take forever to reach under 200lbs to me. I confess i am a bit obsessed with the scale, so I am trying to focus more on NSV's. You're doing a GREAT job. You just have to be the one thing I am not...patient. You WILL get there. Just think, would you be upset if you gained the amount lf weight you lost? That helps me keep it in perspective when I feel I'm losing too slowly or not enough. If i were gaining 2lbs a week, it would be torture.

I am very sorry you have both experienced hair loss. I'm can tell that was upsetting and a traumatic experience. I stated in my original post that I have thick, curly hair and that it's quite possible it could be thinning and I just haven't noticed yet. The veteran I spoke to was a year out and had not experienced hair loss or thinning. Prior to surgery, she did not use chemicals in her hair. After surgery she of course took in the necessary Protein and supplements which I'm sure was helpful to her continued hair growth. Everyone is different. It's not reasonable to say everyone is going to lose hair, nor is it reasonable to say everyone who doesn't use chemicals in their hair won't. Again, we are all different. I simply shared my experiences and those of a woman I spoke with.

I'm almost at two months out after years of stopping growth at about chin length, my hair now just about reaches my bra strap.When I was pre-opt, I talked to a sleeved vet in the lobby and I told her I was afraid of losing hair. She asked if I had in hair color/bleach/a perm/any chemicals. I told her no and she said neither had she and she hadn't experienced any hair losss and I probably wouldn't either. So far she's right, but then I have thick, curly hair, so it could be thinning and I wouldn't notice right away.

whoo hoo!!! go you! ONEderland is awesome. I entered it a couple weeks ago. It feels really good. Let's try and get to the century club (100lbs) next! 140 here I come!

I'm 2 months post opt and I haven't had a soda except at a baby shower and even that sip was accidental. (My friend made punch in a big bowl and I didnt realize it was ginger ale as a base). Immediately after that sip I put it down. Occasionally I get a twinge for something other than Water, so I'll have a half cup of fruit juice and/or milk. I try to mainly drink lemon water though. I've heard soda stretches your pouch and even though I am by no means a purist, having broken my addiction to them, I can't imagine going back. I don't plan to drink another soda the rest of my life. (unless science creates a bionic stomach in which case I'd love a transplant and could eat whatever i wanted. lol)

Lol i'm glad you're taking it so well. People say all sorts of weird/inappropuate stuff. A guy at work told me I'm gettimg skinny like my Mommy and that's good. A woman who hasn't spoken a word to me in the four years we worked together approached me in the copy room and says in one irritated breath " so how much weight have u lost anyway?!". Someone else called me a shadow of my former self. Another coworker (an older female) tells me I look beautiful every time she sees me and i'm so thin now (then she proceeds to list all the improvements to my physical appearance). Crazy!

The best feeling to me is when I go clothes shopping. I used to only shop for jewelry, hair products and other accessories while my mom and/or friends looked at clothes. Now I love trying on stuff because I don't have to worry that it'll be too tight on my breasts/sides/belly/butt. I always had a hard time finding cute clothes because Lane Bryant is expensive and didn't always have the styles I'm more drawn too (I like to wear more Bohemian clothing). I also feel good when I see people I havent seen for a long time. I used to feel ashamed because I was so thin in my younger years and had put on 95lbs. Now when I see people, I don't feel like a shrinking violet imagining them whispering to themselves or others about ''how big Blu has gotten''. I feel more confident and am speaking up more. I am still shy and anxious, but slowly finding my voice more and more instead of just being grateful to God people were being nice to me in all my heaviness.

In addition to weight loss giving me a nice helping of body dysmorphia (I can only tell I am smaller when I look at side by side pictures, but even then I look only slightly smaller to myself. Not like I've lost 40+lbs) Now I'm finding that my perception of other people's weight is off. Like I saw an episode of Mike and Molly and Molly looked HUGE to me. In the past, whenever I saw the actress she just looked a little heavier than average. My best friend stopped past Mom's house to drop something off for a baby shower and she too looked really heavy to me. When I was 245, she looked to be at least 2 - 3 sizes smaller than me. Now I look at her and her body just seems so large. I asked Mom if she looked heavier to her and Mom said she looks the same as she did at my wedding (six months ago). People that I always considered "skinny" now look average and sometimes a little chunky to me. Like my aunt. I always considered her very small (she wears a size 8 or 10 pants). Now she looks average to me. The same with my two "stick thin" bridesmaids. When we were trying on dresses, I was in awe at how skinny they looked changing their clothes. While they don't look chunky to me now, they do look "average" not stick thin anymore. The only person who still looks the same is my cousin who is a size 0, but when I saw her in my wedding video (she had just had a baby) she looked heavier to me. At my actual wedding, I remember marveling at how super skinny she looked having just had a baby two weeks before. Now I'm like, "Wow, you can totally tell she just had a baby". I also find that when I go out to eat, it makes me feel a little sick because what once seemed like "just enough" food now feels like someone has sat down a Thanksgiving dinner in front of me and said, "eat this". A portion of mashed potatoes now feels like a huge saucer. 8 chicken fingers used to be satisfying. Now I'm like, "dude, why are you giving me so much food?!" I often feel guilty because when the servers see my plate they're like, "Aw, honey what's wrong ? You don't like your food? I can get you something else?"

First off, congratulations everyone! As another poster said, no matter your progress, you all have made the decision to be healthier and more conscious of what you're eating. whether you lost or maintained, Thank you for this challenge Bea. Your challenge really helped hold me accountable because as it got closer and closer to Friday each week i'd be like "maybe i shouldnt eat this extra _______" or "i'm going to walk today" because i didnt want to post that i had remained the same or God forbide heavier. I'm also pleased to have a record of my success. Anyway, I made goal and have entered ONEderland. SW: 217lbs GW: 199lbs CW: 198.6 My victories (scale and non scale) have been a motivator to those around me. Mom is watchingnwhat she eats and now does like me and asks for a box before her food comes out. The only time she orders a dessert is at applebees(they have a tiny brownie bite for like $1). My husband has also been seeing a nutritionist and has lost 11.3lbs. He wants to lose w/o the sleeve first and in six months time reevaluate if he wants the procedure. I will definately be participating in the next challenge.

That's okay, we're still proud of you. Maintenance is just as important (if not more so) than losing. I used to weigh 150lbs, but i couldn't maintain it, so i ballooned to 245lbs at my heaviest. If i had your skill of maintenance, that wouldn't have happened. So even though i know it's gotta feel a little dissappointing to have not lost weight during a weight loss challenge, don't feel bad. :-)

I'm about 7 weeks post opt and doing well. Unfortunately, despite all the scar cream I put on twice daily, 3 of my 5 scars are still raised and red. I'm not planning to wear a bikini ever, but I still want them to fade into nothingness. I am almost ine Onederland (yesterday I was 200.8!) and my husband's been inspired to get healthier and lose weight. He's taking Phentermine and has lost 10lbs. I am very pleased with my body right now. I can wear a large coat (used to be in 1X/2X), my ''tight'' jeans are now super loose and practically fall off me now, and I'm sweating a lot less. My sleep apnea is a lot better too. I don't wake up at 4am with a painfully full bladder anymore.

I began my journey at 245lbs Oct. 31st. Dec. 23(surgery date) I was 226lbs. When i weighed last night and this morning I was 200.8lbs. I just started exercising today (45 mins on treadmill) so i may lose faster. I like the rate I'm losing right now though because it's giving me time to adjust to my new body. If i started losing 5 - 10lbs a week, people would get suspicious of my surgery (yeah i'm in the wls closet) and it would be jarring for me. I don't eat Pasta, greasy foods, hardly any fast food, and i almost never touch bread because even in small doses they hurt my chest and give me. That God awful stuck sensation.

*hugs* i'm so sorry. my grandfather died suddenly when i was only two weeks into my sleeve. I had just started puree phase. I ate so much junk that i caused myself physical pain and gained 4lbs in three days. However, i got back on the horse and am back losing consistantly. Don't beat yourself up. You are human and it's understandable. You are not alone. Don't give up!

Even though I was much smaller in high school and college, i have had people make fun of me for everything from wearing glasses, to having a Book poking out my backpack, to not listening to rap music. When I dyed my hair blonde, i was accused of being "fake". When i dyed my hair black i was called a wanna be Goth. It doesn't feel good but what i have learned from it is that (stupid) people are ALWAYS going to have something negative to say. you can be the embodiment of physical perfection and beauty and someone is going to be nasty just because. still, i'm sorry you had to experience it. I remind myself that people who are truly happy with themselves don't have to belittle others. If you have beauty and happiness inside, that's what you project. If you are full of ugliness and have issues with yourself, then that's what you project. Plus college boys are idiots. I remember my college boyfriend, his friend and I were walking to class when a girl who was probably like a size 20 or 22 walked across our path. The idiot friend (who was bug eyed, gangly and used to beg for food from other student because he used his meal plan money to buy a guitar, new clothes and other crap) burst out into laughter and gawked so hard like she had 10 heads, was purple, weighed 1,000lbs and was riding a unicycle. He immediately started up with the fat jokes and kept trying to get us to join in. We both just kind of looked at him and bf was like "so, she's heavy. Why do you care?" And i was like "yeah. how would you feel if she was laughing at you for being scrawny?" Immediately his friend tried to backpedal and say he was just kidding around and it was cool she was big and more power to her. I feel like people say stupid sh-- like that to fit in. I'm sure if we had jumped on the fat band wagon, it would've kept up. Screw those guys.

201.7lbs (so I'm 2.7lbs away from my Vday goal of being under 200lbs on 2/14).

WHOA! Go you! It sounds like you've had an incredible week of NSV's. keep jp the great work. You're an inspiration to those of us who are frustrated by the scale at times.

Im glad you're feeling better LSP. I'm 6 weeks out and I lose about 2 - 3 lbs a week. Slow and steady wins the race (plus decreases our chances of stretch marks and super loose skin)

For thise who are at goal or gone down a significant amount of weight, how long did it take your mind to catch up with your body? When you look in the mirror do you still see yourself fat or what everyone else sees (a skinnier you) I didnt understand how people could be so skinny and still think they're fat until recently. A lot of my coworkers are mentioning my weight loss and I even had a former student see me in the hall and tell me he liked how skinny I look now. He's only 7 so i was like "for him to notice and to be only a child it's gotta be true". But i can't see it! It's frustrating and i feel like i am still 240+lbs and being told I look so good/thin/amazing. It's dumb, but i feel almost cheated because they can see what I can't. I also feel like people are lying to me which is crazy i know and can't be true. I know you all are going through this too, but has anyone actually overcome it? I thought it wouldnt happen to me if i focused on non scale victories )ie: my tight jeans becoming loose, being able to wear this really cute dress i bought a couple sizes too small, being able to wear a large shirt or skinny jeans) but i still feel heavy. I try looking at old pictures but i feel like i didnt really look like that, it was just the camera making my face and body look fat.

! Another way to think of it, is if you had GAINED 18lbs would you think, "aw, it's nothing, only 18lbs?" (if you're anything like me, I suspect you'd be freaking out!) 18lbs is a lot and as another poster said, it sounds like you're right on target, NOT a failure. Plus as much as it would rock wake up a size 8, you don't want to lose too fast because: 1. Stretch marks (It sounds like I'm losing a little faster than you because I am 6 weeks out and have lost 22lbs since my actual surgery) and I now am the proud owner of HUGE stretch marks on both sides of my waist and under my arms. 2. It's more noticeable (I'm one of those who chooses not to tell most people, so I've been losing at a slow, steady enough rate that people aren't "suspicious" I've been sleeved.) 3. Two words: Bat Wings 4. (Don't quote me on this) but from posts I've read on here and what other wls folks have said, losing very quickly because you're not eating enough/the right foods can cause your body to go into starvation mode and you plateau/stall for awhile. I am 6 weeks out and have not yet (*knock on wood*) hit a stall because I'm not starving myself trying to lose 40lbs a month. PS: Try to be positive. You're losing. Even though it's not as much as you would like, you're losing. That's a plus, especially if pre-opt you remember watching your weight steadily creep up the scale