fernandfj

Allen, congrats on taking the steps to make the best informed decision you can. I have learned quite a bit on this site and have found much sage advice worth following. One of my biggest lessons is learning about others' experiences and seeing if it applies. So, let me tell you a bit of my story - I am now about four months out from surgery and thought about it for a while beforehand. For me the final straw was when I started having serious mobility issues. I could live (and had been living) with the high blood pressure and sleep apnea, but my size started interfering seriously with my quality of life. All possible solutions always began with, first you have to lose some weight, then... After researching options with local docs, I opted for a sleeve. It has not been easy - no one who ever called it the easy way out could have possibly been through it! As many have mentioned, you have to change your lifestyle permanently. But the benefits are incredible. In four months, I con longer have high BP, and I no longer use a CPAP. I am walking, running, moving freely - no mobility issues at all. I fit in things I couldn't before. I am not limited by my fear of what I can or cannot do physically. It's a new life. There have been negatives and it isn't easy, but the upside so far outweighs any downside by far. If you are committed to the change, it will come. Use the knowledge you can find here to inform yourself and I wish you luck whatever decision you make!

I'm a bit over 70 lbs down from the surgery (July 29) and about 87 lbs overall since the pre-op liquid diet. I haven't had a real stall in that time, although I sometimes go a three or four days with no loss. I am averaging about 900-1000 calories per day and 100-110 gms of Protein and 60-80 gms of carbs daily. That amount of food fills me up all day and I feel no hunger - I don;t thin I can do more ta this time even if I tried! I do 30 min cardio 5x per week and strength training every other day. So far it all seems to be working. but I am waiting for that first stall to really hit.

Thanks for sharing your story and providing a much appreciated perspective from over a year out. I lived in Angola for two years near my peak weight of almost 350 lbs. and I lived many of the quizzical looks you mentioned. I wish you continued success in your WLS journey and your professional endeavors!

I've tried alternative procedures to tighten my skin (cold laser, radio frequency and cavitation) and they have helped especially around the belly. My little flap isn't a flap anymore at least. I opted for this because a plastic surgeon I trust told me that he would be unwilling to operate until I was a year out from my weight stabilizing. Sine I am only four months post op I thought I'd try something different and early on.

Thanks for the perspective I've from the other side. It's great to hear from people two plus years out to know what's in store if we stick with it!

I'm 3.5 months out from surgery and my weight loss progresses although it is slowing down. I am down 82 lbs from my high weight and 66 since surgery. I am feeling great and I have dropped from a 50 to a 42 waist and from XXXL to L in shirts. I am really happy with my results so far! My eating has been a problem. however. I have discovered some really good items in the store here that I am eating an awful lot of - the soups and protein cereals. I am having a hard time digesting cooked meats, and once a week on average the meal comes back up. The protein cereal in particular goes down real smooth and feels wonderful in my gut. I have slowed down my eating and taken ever smaller bites but it hasn't helped. I know its not that I ate too much or too fast as the problem usually occurs about 1 hour after eating when I just can't seem to digest something. I get hiccups, then I start salivating so much that I can't talk because my mouth fills up. After about 30-45 minutes of this, the food usually comes up. I've told my doc and nutritionist and they say that this can happen and all I can do is power past it and note what causes the problem. They suggested searching for alternatives, hence my new found love of protein based cereals! It's strange, I seem to be more fixated on food than ever, but not on quantity. My worry is whether or not something new will stay down. I seem to do much better with raw foods (sashimi, carpaccio, kibben nayeh) but I am started to get tired of raw stuff. I also have such a small capacity in my stomach (maybe 3 oz) that I fill up with my protein and barely get to the veggies. HOWEVER. IT IS WORTH IT!!!! I haven't felt this good in years and I am off all my meds and my CPAP! The only thing I take is omeprazol and my vitamins! I really enjoy being able to get up and move around without pain. It's wonderful to walk up a flight of stairs and not feel like my heart will beat so hard it will pop out of my chest. Getting the surgery was definitely the best thing I did for myself in quite some time!

Thanks for sharing your story and inspiring those of us earlier on the journey. What you say is dead on, especially about owning the process. Congratulations on a year of great success and a new life!

I found this recipe online and found it really tasty: http://www.maureenabood.com/2011/09/21/kibbeh-nayeh-the-raw-truth/ A Lebanese friend also gave us a great tip. If you have any raw kibbeh left over, just grill on both sides on a non-sticks pan with no oil. It's really good and not fried!!

Everyone's system is different, but kibbeh nayeh (raw kibbeh) is one of the few meat dishes I tolerate well. I eat it about once a week and haven't had any problems. My weight loss has been going at a nice steady clip and my surgeon told me that it was ok so long as I had a small portion (no more than 3 oz).

This is just one more example of how strong you are. You are on the right path. God Speed.

Happy Birthday! Enjoy the day!

I was operated 7-29 and get stalls of a week or so regularly. My doc and nutritionist tell me its normal. While the weight loss stops, I keep on getting smaller, so something is working! Just keep with the Protein and Water and the weight will keep coming off!

That's a very fair question to ask, but risk tolerance is very personal. I am 3 months post surgery today (yeah!!!!) and I can tell you that I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. Prior to surgery, I was having serious problems with basic mobility. Getting up from a chair was a hassle, and I dreaded having to pick up whatever I dropped. My back hurt all the time and my knees made walking uncomfortable. My weight had yo-yo'd for decades,and the last few years only went up. I used a CPAP every night and had high blood pressure. Three months later, and my blood pressure is normal. I no longer need the CPAP, I am exercising every day and i feel more alive and energetic than I did in my 20's! Have there been tough times, yes, but the way I feel is worth the effort. I had surgery because I felt my body was winding down and I needed to take control. This is serious surgery and you have to be prepared to put in the work; to fundamentally change how you deal with food and with exercise. I advise anyone thinking about this surgery to carefully weigh whether or not they are willing to make the necessary adjustments in the way they eat and work as hard as needed to make this work. Good luck in your decision!

Congratulations! Excellent job!

I was just cleared for more solid foods about 3 weeks out and had a tuna tartare appetizer. That meal, plus subsequent tuna sashimi and carpaccio meals showed me that I could tolerate raw meats and fish far better than cooked! I am still eating exclusively from the appetizer menu!

CONGRATS!!! crossing the legs is a great NSV! I hadn't been able to comfortably cross my legs in years and a few weeks after surgery I was sitting at home talking to my wife and she just stopped talking and stared at me. I asked her what happened and she pointed at my legs. I had casually crossed them while we spoke without noticing. It was wonderful!!! A similar one is bending over to pick something up without any problem. These type of NSVs are really powerful and make you feel like you are taking your life back. Keep on enjoying them!

I opted for sleeve surgery a few months back because my weight gain had been large enough that it was compromising my mobility. I had always had success with weight loss, the most being ten years ago when I lost 100 lbs. IN four years I gained it back and another 50 over the next few years after that. I knew I can lose the weight while dieting, but I was uncertain I could maintain it. The sleeve offered me the option to physically restrict food intake and calories. While it's only been three months, I am ecstatic with the results so far. It is hard work and tales perseverance, but I needed this change and I could not have accomplished what I have so far by dieting alone. You should takl a look and decide what works for you.

That was sooo inspiring! Thanks for that post and making us all realize once again it's all about choices.Your commitment is commendable and a great example to us all!

Excellent advice that is hard to follow. I try to do it and I recognize I am still relatively early in what will be a life long process, but sometimes I do wonder why the difference in speed of weight loss. I know that there are many variables, and we do not know anybody's whole story, but still that desire to compare and question comes in and mucks things up!

I am three months out from surgery and I do miss foods. When I feel food pressure building, I think about how far I have come and the pressures taut once dominated me seem much less important. Not eating some of the things nor the quantities of times past seems like such a small price to pay for mobility, less pain and feeling better about myself than I have in years! Also, food is about quality not quantity. As many have said before in these forums, you now eat to live, not live to eat.

hello all. I;m a 51 yr old male living in the Dominican Republic and I had sleeve surgery 7/29. I am married to a wonderful women that has supported me through this process and we have three adult kids (23, 22 and 20). I have been benefiting from everyone's collective wisdom for some time and hope to be able to help folks as I have been helped.

My sleeve has been cooperative and starts me off with a small hiccup when I am nearing being full. If I choose to ignore that (not wise), the hiccups get stronger and my nose gets stuffed. I have learned the hard way that going beyond that takes me to the danger zone with lots of pain and nausea. After much trail and error, I learned that as soon as the hiccups start, I stop. Once that happened a few times I started being able to eyeball about how much I can eat. Good luck!

After the surgery you will be amazed how little goes in. Right after the surgery, when I was on liquids I didn't notice it that much, but I did notice that hunger disappeared. Once I started on pureed foods, a Few teaspoons would fill me up. And if I went too far and ate too much or too fast, it hurt and I felt really, really bad. The sleeve's physical restriction is very real. The other thing you will face is your body trying to act like it used to with food. You'll try to gulp Water and you will learn you shouldn't. You'll try to eat the same size mouthfuls and at the same speed and you;ll quickly learn not to. THIS REALLY WORKS BUT YOU HAVE TO READY FOR THE CHANGES THAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE!

You are changing your life in a radical way. Many things that were comfortable or familiar are changing. That is a scary process and regret is a normal reaction. But you had the courage to take the first steps. Just keep taking those steps. As for not being able to do it alone, only a small percentage of folks can. Big deal! You made a choice to live a different, healthier life and more power to you. We all have moments of regret, the key is to see past them. So far, I am discovering this was the best gift I ever gave myself and in my now much smaller gut I know that feeling will only get stronger.

INCREDIBLE!! Keep it up!