KristenVSG2014

Ok here. I'll give you a visual. The first picture is showing where I lost the most and combed forward to show where the new growth is coming in. The second pic shows how I normally wear it to disguise the thinning. Sometimes I use powder too if it's sticking up and my scalp is showing a lot. This is 8+ months out. I also have PCOS and very VERY fine hair so I didn't have a lot to begin with. But it doesn't bother me too much. It's actually thickening up a bit now.

Yes, it lasted from months 3-6 for me. My sprouts are about 1 inch long now so my hair looks funny, especially in the front. It takes a lot of of hairspray to hold them down because they want to stick straight up.

I went from a size 10 to 8 in my shoes and a size 10 to 7 in my wedding ring. I never thought of my hands or feet as looking fat so I was very surprised by this!

I take bra and panty pics every month. I have to warn people when I let them use my phone not to go to my photos unless they want an eyeful. However, the before and after pics help a LOT.

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Thanks! I went shopping at Macy's and my dresses ended up being size Medium. I couldn't believe it! I got compliments all day long so it was a nice boost to my self-esteem.

I used to dread family pictures because I've always been the only overweight one in my immediate family. Now I love taking pics and "fitting in"! Here I am with my parents and siblings last weekend.

This is me at my heaviest and last weekend. I'm 5'7 Before 290+ pounds (Size 24) Now 175 pounds (Size 10/12)

Like Alex said, I looked at the BMI chart. It said 159 would mean I'm no longer considered overweight. Then I consulted my PCP. He said because of my naturally muscular/medium build he would be happy with anything under 200 pounds. I'm now 175 and I have everyone telling me I look fantastic (including my PCP) and while I love my size (10/12) I still want to get to 160. I believe with a tummy tuck I could easily be a size 6/8 at my goal weight.

@@Elode you've made AMAZING progress! We are sleeve sisters, same surgery date. I've loved reading about your journey along the way. You look fantastic. I've also noticed people being nicer to me but my favorite part is when people I haven't seen in a year or more don't recognize me at all. I usually giggle to myself and then tell them who I am. Their reactions are priceless.

In addition to the specific question they mentioned wanting to lose as much weight as possible before they go back to school. If the average answer is 20 pounds in one month and by week 3 the OP has only lost 10 pounds, they might panic, become upset/depressed and perhaps even resort to unhealthy ways to lose weight. I've seen many posts of people disappointed that they've "only lost ____ lbs" because they've been comparing their progress to other's. So in addition to answering the specific question some added in words of wisdom. Nothing was done maliciously or bitterly. No one was lectured or attacked. I saw all information given kindly and as a cause for concern.

I didn't see any "lecturing" just words of advice. When I see "I want to be able to lose as much as I can" in one month it raises some red flags. We all want to lose as much as we can but if you set unrealistic expectations for yourself based on other's experience, especially around a time when a stall generally happens, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. OP, simply follow your surgeon's rules. Everyone loses differently. Some lose steadily, most hit many stalls along the way. You will meet your goal if you follow your surgeon's instructions and don't compare your weight loss to anyone else's but your own.

You'll be glad you have those pictures after you get surgery and start losing weight!

It's best not to compare yourself to others or you will become disappointed. How much a person loses and how fast depends on a lot of factors. That being said, I lost 21 my first month.

First, I'm also 29 and have PCOS. I was sleeved last November. Second, everyone loses differently. My body seems to have two weeks it loses pounds then two week "stalls" where I lose inches but minimal or no weight. I noticed this early on and I've had as long as three weeks with a single pound lost. However, try to think in averages. I set the goal to average 2 pounds lost a week since that's what doctors recommend. That doesn't mean I expect to lose 2 or more pounds each week. If I lose 5 pounds one week then 2 the next then 0.5 a pound the next two weeks I consider it a success. As you lose it will slow down so be prepared for that. I'm 14 pounds from goal and as you can see I've still maintained my weekly average with 2.16 lbs a week. You can read my monthly updates here: http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/320791-Kristen%27s-Journey-From-Pre-Op-and-Beyond

http://BariatricPal.com/index.php?/topic/320791-Kristen%27s-Journey-From-Pre-Op-and-Beyond Check out my post today for my progress so far. ????

Whole30 was a huge success for the month of June!! It was a LOT of planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning, but the results more than make up for it. I lost 10 pounds for the month of June. So I've lost 87 since I started my pre-op diet last October and 116 since my highest weight. I'm only 14 pounds from my goal weight!!! Inches lost in June: Neck - 1/2 Under boobs - 1/2 Waist - 1 1/2 Hips - 2 Arm - 0 Thigh - 1 Total inches lost since October: Neck - 2 1/2 Under boobs - 9 1/2 Waist - 11 1/2 Hips - 13 Arm - 3 1/2 Thighs - 5 1/2 I'm going to share my before and after pics I've been taking each month. This is October 1 vs July 1. 9 months, 8 months since surgery.

I chose VSG because I didn't want my intestines rerouted, I didn't want malabsorption issues, I didn't want to be stuck on vitamins my entire life and I felt my biggest obstacle to losing weight was portion control. I already ate relatively healthy, I just ate too much and wanted the restriction. I also saw it is more difficult to stretch a sleeve than a pouch. At almost 8 months out I'm only 14 pounds from my ultimate goal weight. I would definitely consider my surgery a success.

Because I've always been overweight and have PCOS, I've been told to eat low carb my entire adult life. After surgery I was diligently keeping my carbs under 30 grams a day but had chronic fatigue and my muscles started to randomly twitch and seize. I went to my doctor and he said, "Your carbs are way too low. You've completely depleted your glycogen stores. You've got to eat some carbs." I looked at him like he was crazy. He laughed and said, "That doesn't mean French fries!" And I said, "So...I can eat a banana?" He said, "PLEASE eat a banana. Eat a banana every day." Well, I started to allow myself a little more carb but not a lot. Then this month I took the Whole30 challenge. It says no food tracking. Just eat healthy, whole foods and lots of delicious fats from avocado, coconut and other nuts. So I ate. No tracking. I just ate. I'm guessing I probably ate 1,200+ calories a day, the most I've eaten in 7 months. I lost 10 pounds this month. That's a LOT for me because I'm so close to goal. Only 14 to go! To put it in perspective: from April-May I lost 8 pounds and from May-June I lost 5 pounds. I was expecting to lose 3-5 this month. 10 is amazing. I definitely plan on keeping this Paleo-style eating probably 80% of the time. I'm human so occasionally I'll have a corn tortilla or maybe something sweet. Yay healthy carbs AND fats!!!

I had my surgery at Mi Doctor. It's a small clinic-like hospital. It's a bit dated but clean. The nurses were really nice. Waiting for and right after surgery I was in this room with other ladies and it was awkward because I had diarrhea and we all shared a bathroom. Finally they moved my husband and I to a private room. I slept a lot and when I wasn't sleeping I was walking the hallways. Tip: there's some coconut-flavored electrolyte Water in the café on the first floor by the entrance. Buy some. It's safe for Clear liquids stage and I had my husband go to Walmart and buy a case I loved it so much. I mixed my Protein powder in it every day and drank the bottle over the day. So much tastier than a Isopure. Blech!!

I had to drink Isopure for a week postop and I had to force myself to take every sip. It is HORRIBLE. Every flavor. Not one of them was tolerable. It also made the skin of my mouth slough off. The only other time that has happened was with a specific brand of whitening toothpaste. My dentist said there is a certain ingredient used for whitening that causes is. And I drank it for a week? ????

I gave my surgical notes, leak test and blood work done in Mexico to my PCP. He has done followup blood work for me at 3 months and I'm going to get my second set of bloodwork tomorrow. Then I'll see him at my one year surgiversary in November. No complications for me!

Hi! I live in Starke but my favorite restaurant is in Ocala and my husband and I always stop to eat there on the way to Orlando. I don't think we truly understand how much control food had over us until we can't have it. Use this time to try to start your good habits because in a few months you'll be able to eat those foods again. I love the saying, "They did surgery on your stomach, not your brain." Definitely true! We still have to make the right choices.

I went through my closets and purged them of my clothes. I wasn't convinced my 16's were too big so I made myself try them all on. They are big. Quite big. I'm most definitely a 10/12. In fact, I wore size 11's to work today and I felt really cute. I still can't wrap my head around it. My energy levels are double what they were before Whole30. It will be interesting to see how my body reacts as I reintroduce certain foods. I may not go back to dairy. I think it caused many of my skin problems and congestion. Wow. Today is Day 22 of Whole30. The month kind of flew by. Here's some of the amazing food my hubby and I have been eating all month: