MrsSugarbabe

What do you LIKE? What makes you feel GOOD? What are you most COMFORTABLE in? Many years ago I sold BeautiControl cosmetics just for the discount and a little extra money. We did the color/seasons thing and I'm a winter - clothing-wise - bold, jewel tones look best on me and they happen to be the same colors I'm most comfortable in and that my eye is drawn to. I do wear some things that don't fall into that palette just because I like it. When it comes to lipstick and nail color, I choose a BLUE based color because that works best for my skin tone (olive-tans easily). I'm a graying brunette who colors her hair with the closest color to my natural (for frizz control). With foundation and concealer, I wear Almay 200 foundation and 020 concealer because it is the closest to matching my skin tone and it's the formula that (supposedly) adjusts to your skin tone. All that being said, I hope some of it helps. I would like to suggest that before you go to Ulta or Sephora for a make-up session (some places charge you for their time), reach out to a Mary Kay or BeautiControl consultant - they do it for free (at least that's been my experience). They get some training in the product as do the Clinique and others, unlike most Avon reps. Have fun with it!!! You'll get the hang of it all!!

@@James Marusek Excellent article!! Thank you for sharing your story.

I agree with @@WLSResources/ClothingExch - it's more like a "moment." At 2 years, 2 months post-op, I still have those moments when I feel like I should have stopped two bites sooner. I keep thinking I'll learn where the stopping point is before actually getting there. I feel your pain!! All too often, unfortunately. My typical meal size remains between 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup, total, at meal time. So, I'll ask here, are you measuring all of your food at meal time? If you are, maybe try decreasing it by 2 tablespoons/bites. (Since this just occurred to me, I need to take my own advice here .) I still follow the instructions I was given pre- and post-op about eating slowly, small bites, not drinking while eating or 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after, and Protein first veggies and fruit after that. Sipping liquids all day long is a lifestyle as is exercising regularly. As you can see from my information, I have not reached my goal yet. This past year has been very challenging from an eating standpoint and I have been on the longest plateau weight-wise. Up and down within about a 5 lb. range. Onederland still eludes me. Sleeve restriction is still great for which I'm thankful. Most foods agree with me. I will admit to making some food choices that are not the best choices and attribute that fact to why I have not reached goal yet. Every day is a good day to have a good day!!!

Your body is still adjusting. It will get better and you will be able to work out longer in the future. Try and be patient. Do what you can do then rest. Maybe for now you could do a couple of short workouts each day that you work out rather than trying for an extended period. I will sometimes do 1 min. "bursts" of standing squats going up on toes (only because I don't jump) at my desk during the day several times in addition to my gym workouts and/or walking on my lunch break.

I take regular Equate (WalMart) Multivitamins and Calium along with other supplements by either Nature Made or Spring Valley. My surgeon was okay with that and all my work since surgery has been fine. Other supplements consist of D3, Biotin, B12, coq10. Because of my sleeve tummy, I do take all my supplements and medications spread out over about a 1-2 hour timeframe. There's no way I can take all of my morning meds & supplements all at the same time.

I'm just about 2 years out and still do not drink carbonated beverages - at least not more than a sip or two. There are (and have been) plenty of times I'd love to drink a Diet Coke, Diet Cheerwine, Diet Sunkist, or Diet Root Beer, but I do not like the way the carbonation makes me feel. Once in a great while, I will take a sip or two, nothing more, of my husband's Diet Sunkist just to taste something other than our usual SF flavored Water, tea, coffee, plain water, etc. I continue to have great restriction with my sleeve so sometimes one or two bites (or sips) too many can/will make me feel absolutely miserable for at least a hour afterwards. It's not worth it.

@@blizair09 Wishing the very best for you! Congratulations on your pre-surgery weight loss!! Awesome progress!!

Hijack continued.......my hubby and my girls prefer the Cacique line at Lane Bryant Hubby even shops online for me.......

@@mi75 Thank you for starting this forum and thread! Accountability keeps me honest with myself. I'm almost 2 years out, have yet to reach goal or Onerderland, which is extremely frustrating. I got so close to Onerderland I could see it (203) late 2015 into early 2016. I struggled and yo-yo'd within a couple of pounds for months, and now I've gained about 10 lbs. since the early part of this year. I keep tracking my food more days than not, exercising at least 3-4 days a week, although I am not (nor will I ever be) what they call a gym rat, but I do keep moving every day. Most days are good food days, but where I've fallen off the wagon is allowing the nighttime snacking monster back into my life. There, I've named it and claimed it. I've not given up nor do I plan to because I do not want to be a failure with using this wonderful tool called a sleeve. My sleeve still provides great restriction so I don't feel the need to do a "pouch test." Constantly working on staying on plan: 100 grams of Protein minimum, 1200-1400 cals., lots of Water, physical activity. Considering doing something like the 5:2 plan I read about on numerous other posts to see if it can get me jumpstarted again. Mine is a very self-centered post/reply (there are a lot of Is here and I can't seem to get away from them), which I didn't intend for it to be that way. Just fessin' up - confession's good for the soul so to speak. Okay, y'all I think I'm done ramblin' for now. Let's start losing again!!

It's been the tool I've needed for a long time, so, no, I've never thought that VSG was the wrong answer/tool for me. No regrets. Just learning to live a new lifestyle in relation to food. Exercise/Physical activity of some variety has always been a part of my life.

Congratulations on your success!!! You're looking fabulous!!

My typical meal consumption is about 3/4 cup, depending on how dense the Protein is. Sometimes 2 bites over my limit (if I reach my limit) and I'll be miserable for at least an hour, so I strive to stop before I eat those 2 bites too many. My plan at this stage is for 3 meals, 2 Snacks within 1200-1500 calories, and at least 100 grams of protein. I can't eat enough solid food to get that much protein so I continue to supplement with 1-2 protein shake servings each day. The more protein I get, the less I crave simple carbs.

I'm right there with you @Kiba. My gym visits per week fluctuate between 2 - 4 with walking 30 mins. on my lunch break during the week, more days than not. I just keep doing what I know I'm supposed to be doing and trying hard not to give into head hunger or cravings for less than healthy food choices (I'm not always successful). I drink Water or water-based beverages throughout the day and I track my food. Caloric intake ranges between 1200-1800. My sleeve still keeps me honest when it comes to volume eaten; my typical meal consumption is about 3/4 cup. Sometimes I will be hungry again about 2 hours later. At meals I always eat Protein first and then a few bites of veggies. I'm just keeping on keeping on and figure I'll eventually make it to goal. Hang in there!!

I'm not lazy, I just really enjoy doing nothing.

Great post, @@LipstickLady!! I'm right there with you on the loose skin, etc. These days I'm a 42 long, but hubby doesn't care. My personality is the only thing that has ever been perky

Check out Cacique at Lane Bryant and online. I've loved their bras pre- and post-surgery. My favorite is the back smoother. Wait for a sale to buy, that's what I do (or rather my hubby does the online shopping for me). Even after losing 60 lbs. VS still doesn't have a size to fit me, so I don't even consider them anymore. They do have some poor quality bras, but if you dig a little deeper, they have some super soft push up bras that give good coverage and a lot of support. When I get home, I will look for the style name for you. thanks!!!!

For the first time the other day, I tried mixing the unflavored @@UNJURY with instant oatmeal. It was okay. I hadn't had oatmeal since before surgery and was wanting some. Most of the time I will mix the unflavored powder with my skim milk when I want just a glass of skim milk and not a sweet Protein shake; it works fine for that. Also, I have used a serving of unflavored and a serving of vanilla with other sugar free flavors to make a wide variety of shakes. You can get creative! @@UNJURY has a lot of recipes on their site on want to use the different flavors in. I know one of their suggestions is to mix it into Jello. I have not tried that yet. Happy mixing!

Just wanted to share the following article I found on SparkPeople today; thought it might be helpful to others. I have all my usual t-shirts and workout capris that I'm most comfortable in, but like to change up my tops from time to time. One thing I learned about -- adjustable bras (and not just the shoulder straps) that will take you through weight/size changes. http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=12_affordable_athleisure_brands_that_look_great_as_you_lose_weight

That's fantastic!!! Congratulations on everything!! You have lots of SVs and NSVs to look forward to in the months ahead

I concur with @@Inner Surfer Girl. I suffered from extreme tiredness, too, when I returned to work, but I was also recovering from some complications that came after my surgery. My physical therapist at the time recommended returning to work for 1/2 days for the first few days and see how it went before working a full 8 hour day. It was a great suggestion!!! At least that way I knew what it was going to feel like. Fortunately I had a great boss back then who checked on me regularly and told me to leave early if I needed to once I did start working full days. You are still healing and your body is still adjusting to your caloric and nutritional changes; it will need time. Hang in there! Be kind to your body and your mind.

Congratulations on your progress so far! You're doing great! It seemed like forever before I started eating anything resembling a salad, and I missed them terribly! It was probably 6 months before I ventured into that territory, mainly because I always ate my Protein first at meals and rarely had room for anything else. Now almost 2 years out, I can/do each a very small salad (if you can call it that) with some protein for supper sometimes. I will usually only use a couple or 3 leaves of romaine lettuce, a little tomato and cucumber and dressing. It takes very little to fill me up (about 1/2-3/4 cup), and even less if the food is very dense, like steak, chicken, pork. One egg fills me up, almost, and I can usually eat 1 or 2 slices of bacon with it if I choose to. Like others have said, don't rush into the raw foods. You have the rest of your life to enjoy them again. It's more important you give your stomach the time it needs to heal properly. I missed my dinner salads (greens+meat) the most in the early stages, but they are worth the wait. Hang in there!

I'm very sorry to hear the news about your mother-in-law. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Living with constant stress challenges most folks on the best of days. Stick as close to your food plan as you possibly can. Try and get a walk in on most days; something is better than nothing. If you get to the gym, even better. Exercise is a great tool for managing stress. Considering all that your are dealing with now with your family, if I were, I'd do everything I could to keep the rest of my life outside of my family as simple as possible. Be sure to take time for yourself for some good self-care. If you don't take care of YOU, you may set yourself up for not being able to take care of your loved ones. I've attached the information my WLS team provided to me. I hope it will help you and give you some suggestions and additional guidance. GASTRIC SLEEVE INFORMATION - Generic.doc

These are all hilarious!!! Thanks for creating this post and everyone sharing the funnies!

Me, too!!!!! Add in some saggy boobs.....

Congratulations!!! That's awesome news!! Keep up the good work and Celebrate with a non-food treat