jess9395

I could have written your post!!! I am between 5'6" & 5'7" depending on who measures me and I am 145lbs. Size 6 consistently with a few size 4's here and there. My Dr has never set a goal weight for me he says my body will find a new homeostasis and will settle when I get there. My PCP said I was fine and could go down to 140 and he'd be fine with that. He'd be fine at less but thinks then I might look gaunt. But my family??? They were telling me I was too skinny 10lbs ago! They complain they see my bones (they never complain about seeing my 16yr old daughter's bones). My husband (who worried all the time when I was too heavy but has never complimented my weight loss) now says I need to gain 10lbs. Here's what I think. I am strong. I do yoga 3x a week and ran a half marathon a week ago. I am solidly in the middle of my recommended BMi range. My loss is slowing, maybe stopping, my body seems "happy" here. My doctors are fine with where I am. I think I'm good! Hey, I can always gain a few lbs back, I know how to do that LOL

Oh and my surgery was 12/2/13 and I'm a solid size 6 with the occasional 4.

Started at 271 down 126 to 145! Thinking this may be goal for me at 5'7" so now all I have to do is stay here and get some things tucked up surgically!

I avoid bread for the most part too for all the reasons above. I have had three slices in the 10+ months I've been sleeved. Haven't had any Pasta and had rice once without thinking and it made me sick. About the toasted part---the issue is the gluten. It's a gummy Protein found in wheat. No matter how much you chew it it will reform in your stomach, clump and get gummy. Toasting it breaks the chemical bonds and prevents it from gumming.

My dr used a 32 bougie and overstitched. For the first several months it was a huge effort to get the Protein in not so much the fluids (after a week or so that was easy). Closing in on a year and now it's not a struggle. It takes planning and paying attention and making wise choices. Yes I take the Vitamins still. Hard to maintain? As opposed to continuing to lose? That is uncommon, it's more typical to struggle with the last 10-20lbs to goal. But it happens. The sleeve is considered successful if you lose 60% of your excess weight (if you are 100lbs to the top of the healthy BMi range the average person will lose 60lbs). I just reached my personal goal last week which is in the middle of my healthy BMi range so we shall see if it's hard to maintain (my guess is it will be easier to gain than continue to lose).

An abdominal binder is definitely not always used, no one I know had one so you may or may not need one. Definitely loose yoga type pants. Something soft on your tummy. And yes would will use the hospital gown most of the time in the hospital. Tall up your dr about the bowel issues. Some say stool softeners, some say miralax. Mine recommended starting Benefiber BEFORE surgery as soon as I could and continuing post op. Also prune wafers. You can find them in health food stores.

Btw the dress clips work for shirts too!

I never thought I would do the goodwill thing....but I find amazing stuff there! Like new designer stuff for $3-7 a piece! Ross and marshals and TJ Maxx are all good too. And dress clips (or mitten clips work too) to cinch in the backs of things that are too big!

Careful! I thought that at size 10 and made some investments in nice things I cannot wear as I am now a six and sometimes a four!

I am 146 today. As I said above I gain whenever I race. Had half marathon Sunday and was up three lbs. lost 2 so far and working on the last. 145 is my final goal WITH a 4lb "bounce" or warning range so I'm dojng OK!

Ok I ALWAYS gain when I have a race. Always. 5k, 10k, half-freaking-marathon! I think it's a reaction to the dehydration or glycogen depletion or something. It seems to be temporary, but not like the next day temporary more like a week or two to get back little by little. Wonder if you are the same.

I have had the same PCP for 20+ years and he has seen me diet and lose and gain for most of that, on plans like WW, on meds he prescribed for me, etc, so my insurance company was happy with his word.

I've been doing this from the get go. It's such a wonderful concept. Everything that enters my house gets split into portion controlled serving sizes the minute I get it home, then it's easy to grab and I don't ever worry about mindless (aka endless) snacking!

And.....GOAL! For this challenge and I think for good. 145! 126lbs total in 10 months. Now the real challenge, staying here ????

Yeah it takes a while... I started at 271 and people started noticing around 70lbs down. So maybe 30% of my body weight. So might take about 30% for you too. Weird I know, but it is what it is!

I eat more turkey, chicken and fish than I do meat, just to clarify, but meat isnt a problem and fits into my eating plan just fine. I am at goal (feels weird to say that, just got there yesterday) and 10 months out.

I eat plenty of meat. Lean ground beef once a week, beef jerky like daily almost, steak a couple of times a month... Have never been much of a pork fan... Anyhow no problem with any of it after about four moths. Before that it was a bit hard on my stomach.

I don't do a lot of lifting (need to work on that part) I run (half marathon this weekend) do yoga (2-3x a week) and enough biking and swimming to do the occasional triathalon. Anyhow, after the first couple months hydration wasn't an issue. I can drink plenty and even gulp when I need to. Fueling is a bit harder.... I have been working on it though and with effort its def do-able. Protein shakes after, complex carbs before and when I really really need it I do Gu's and shot blocks and stingers in the middle of distance runs. Dunno about the skin issue. I can see lots of muscle def below my saggy skin, but the skin still sags. But I am 45 and less than a year out. Lost 125. Maybe need to be patient, but not sure how patient I am...looking forward to plastics!

They only make the 4oz plastic bottles in a couple of flavors. Alpine Punch is one and it isn't bad...has more tart to it.

It's a membership based site, no fee but you have to register for the site not unlike Amazon or others. So not for everyone. It's available at drug stores too, so try it there, it's just about half price on this site, $30 instead of $60.

I posted a link to a good sale on these a while ago (yes I do get a referral credit) because I had heard silicone was one of the few scientifically proven scar reduction methods. Well I scar a LOT (hypertrophic). I bought some and tired it on my sleeve and some other old scars (gallbladder and tubal). Was it a Miracle cure? Nope. Did it make a difference? Yup! In about two months I see about a 25% improvement on my older scars and even more on my newer ones. In case anyone else wants to try, it's on sale again today for three days: http://www.zulily.com/invite/jstewart729/p/silicone-daily-use-disc-set-105314-12745824.html?tid=social_email_ipad_shareviaicon_na_modal_02c848332ebb4eb7198d4a7f733b3a89&pid=12745824

That's an awesome time!!! Congrats!

5'6.5, sleeved Dec 2 last year. Down to 147 (size 6) from 271 (2-3x, 18w). I should really do a new after pix, this one is about 15lbs ago.

Haven't been checking in for a few weeks, was up two lbs after my running relay weekend (always happens weird!). Took two weeks to lose the gain and now am down another pound to 147 today.

Oops! Typo post please disregard!