Screwballski

At 9 months out, my best advice for you is drink when you begin to feel hunger. If that doesn't satisfy it for a while, go to low carb protein. It's not what your head wants but it will keep you on the right track. I had to retrain my brain to understand that food is fuel. Not recreation, reward or comfort...simply fuel. I'm fairly sedentary so I have a lot of time, working at home, to think about what I'd like to eat. Instead I grab a glass of water, a cup of decaf tea, some peppermint tea, whatever...it generally does the trick for a couple hours until it's time for an actual meal. Hope this helps.

It has been absolutely smooth sailing for me! 53 at time of surgery. Low BMI at surgery. Virtually pain free recovery. Was up and running errands with husb on day two. Tanning on day three! Hit what I thought was a fair goal very quickly. 26 pounds under goal now at 9 months out and feeling fabulous. Healthy. happy. (The only hitch that occurred was that immediately after surgery I was completely intolerant to why. I had horrible diarrhea for 9 days and was back and forth to Doctors offices for testing until I was smart enough to ask for help here. The moment I did as suggested and switched from whey to plant based protein shakes, not another problem in my now 9 months of life with sleeve!!!)

I hesitate to post photos because I am not feeling great about all the hanging skin and the after in this photo is me wearing boy shorts in my messy closet, however...it will give you an idea of the way my 54 year old body is dealing with extra skin. Keep in mind that just 8 years ago, I was 260. I'm 5ft, 5.5 inches. Large bone structure. The photo on the left is me on December 26th at somewhere in the 140's, I think. The photo in the boy shorts is me on Feb 8th at 124, same weight I am now. My arms, belly and inner thighs are very loose. My back and chest are very loose. I can pull this skin away from my body like it's a cat suit. That said, it's easily covered in clothing, even tight clothing. And mild control underwear flatten my belly skin skirt. These boy shorts gave no control panel and do NOT do the job! But here it is...

A lot of it depends on starting/ending(maintenance) size, age, overall muscle tone, etc. there is no way to predict. I was 260lbs in my 40’s. I’m 54 and 124lbs now. I have loose skin everywhere but have noticed that some of my belly and arm flab has shrunken a bit as I’ve maintained a 5 pound range over the last month or so. That said, I am fortunate (or unfortunate) not to have nearly enough belly skirt left to qualify for surgery. It would be nice to have a flat belly, tight thighs, booty and arms, however, at my age, what is left is far better than expected. Let us NOT address the boob sitch. That’s a horror show. I’m going to self pay that nightmare!😄 I think it just depends on your individual skin make up.

I can only share my experience. This is what works for me. I am just over 8 months out. I CANNOT EAT OVER 1000 calories on the reg and lose weight. I can maintain at 1050-1100. Anything more and I gain. I'm at 126 lbs. My original goal was 150. Crushed it. My surgeon said I was perfect at 135lbs. Good for him. I WANT to continue to weigh 125-127lbs. But, to maintain this weight, it takes constant vigilance and work. It's a drag sometimes. Isn't everything?! For me that means I have to eat high protein and super low carb. I have to be very strict almost all the darn time. Like, under 55 carbs a day. And, those carbs have to come from good foods. I enjoy Friday Funday every week with my husband now that I'm at my happy spot. Here's what that looks like; the toppings from two small slices of supreme pizza. One small bite of thick crust, (my only bread, ever), a 2oz cup of trail mix (the kind with dried fruit AND M&M's) and 1 tiny handful of popcorn. This is over 2-3 hours. I also have a double Tito's screwdriver--light on the OJ/heavy on the ice--long before I eat anything. Add to this a protein shake and a Keto Coffee with Chocolate Greens throughout the rest of the day and you have summed up my wild and crazy eating adventure day! I usually gain 1/2-1 full pound. Then I have to lose it! You can imagine the rest of the week. That's how I maintain my ideal weight. If I feel like losing a pound, I cut a few carbs. If I feel too slim, I add some. I never worry about fat...never buy/eat low fat products because they have added sodium and sugar. Good fats are good fats. I don't cook with salt, eat fast food (except a few bites of Wendy's chili every now and then). I keep my bag primed with protein bars. And I don't put junk in me because I didn't come this far to fail my body after the amazing response it's given me with this fab tool. But, it's not for everyone. I have a butt ton of support from my husband. I am retired and control my environment. I have a "piss off you psychos" attitude that makes me hard to corrupt when I'm out with girlfriends who are trying to get me to drink or eat crap. To most people it sounds like my food situation sucks. To me, I finally feel like food isn't controlling my life. I don't live for it anymore. It's just a survival mechanism. It's not a pleasure or a comfort. It just keeps me alive and healthy. Then on Fridays? I add a little sparkle! (It's always enough.).

Has anyone had a neck/facelift? I’m getting that and lower blepharoplasty (sp?)...basically under eye bag removal...on Tuesday, 8/21. It sounds like the recovery, although not too painful, is going to be a nightmare of not moving my neck and head for weeks! I’m not sure how one accomplishes that. I have no real chores. I’m retired and have put my online business on hold until mid Sept. But, geez, how do you keep your head in one position? They also told me not too yawn with my jaw open for at least 4 weeks! Uh, okay...WHAT?!

I don’t know why I can’t see my answer to your question about cost but I’ll answer again. With the lower blepharoplasty the total was somewhere between $17k. My memory is fuzzy. I seem to recall I could have gotten away with $15k for just neck/face lift or paid $19 for lift with upper and lower blepharoplasty.

I call bullish!t on that! I had a band for twelve years. Lost 30 pounds total before it broke. Walked around in pain for a decade. I finally starved myself from 235 to 160. I got remarried and bloomed back up around 209 by 2018. On January 23rd, 2018, I started the process for a Band to Sleeve revision. My date was set for May 17th. Between January and May, I got to 180. I came home from surgery with extra Fluid putting me at 187. Nearly 8 months later I am maintaining 131 consistently. Size 6 jeans (or 4, depending on brand). Small/Medium tops. Bikinis!!!! I’m 54 and look better, weigh less, measure smaller than when I was a model in my teens and 20’s!!! The band didn’t do this. The sleeve and following the eating plan I’m supposed to to stay healthy with the sleeve did it! (Except that bit of ice cream yesterday...because I’m a human and I’m well under goal...already!) THE VERY BEST TO YOU! Don’t compare yourself/your journey to others. Let others inspire you and show you what’s possible but don’t be discouraged if your pace is different. Follow the plan and it will happen. Pinkie swear!

Yesterday, I revisited a very old, loved friend; vanilla ice cream rolled in Raisin Bran. I mean, if one is going off the rails, one might as well have fiber! 😄

It’s not a failure until you quit giving everything you can. If you’re still working to change, you’re in the game!

I went through the same thing where my decade long shrink retired and I wound up in the hands of someone who believed that I could “get right” if I just “wanted it badly enough” and took herbs...oh, holy night! Several voluntary sleepovers in the bin later, and two more practices over 5 years and I found a psychologist I trusted again! It was a nightmare but it lead me to someone who has been with me for 12 years of stability. You have to find the right practice. The road can be ver rocky. But when you get there, it is so worth it. Don’t settle for anything less than you find completely comfortable!

Not an ounce of rage. I was just offering a different perspective. I’ll consider it ignored and move on.

RinRin, Another BiPolar here, with a whole lot of medicated years and surgeries under my belt. A couple things could be going on... FIRST, it is quite possible your body is simply having a depressive reaction the anesthesia. It doesn’t usually hit until about 5-7 days out. Then it grabs you! That is a fairly common thing, especially for folks who suffer from depression of one form or another. It can last for a few days or a couple weeks but it is just how some bodies process the drug after surgery. I found this out the hard way! When a relative/Doctor explained it to me, I couldn’t have been happier that I wasn’t actually circling the drain. It is most likely this temporary cycle. Keep reminding your brain that this is false depression and not part of your BiPolar Disorder! That keeps me sane! I usually snap out of it in 3-4 days. (To you other folks out there, it can happen to anyone...you don’t have to have any history of depression. Stable folks experience this too.) It could be, too, that there has been so much trauma to your system, your meds are having trouble keeping up. I had an addition surgery in August, not related to my May sleeve. By Oct, I was mildly manic. It had nothing to do with absorption. Just one system trauma after lead to weird chemical production in brain. First time in 5 years we had to adjust doses. 🙂 Our road is normally complex. Things like this can really throw a wrench in the works. It wouldn’t hurt to have a specialist who can monitor your long term sitch. BiPolar is a tricky beeotch! 🙂

I REPLACED anorexia with obesity and have likely put obesity in remission with this sleeve but it will always, ALWAYS be a daily struggle to maintain health. Meanwhile, none of that gives me permission to make fun of anyone on either side of the fence, especially since l know the heartache of both places. I say this with all kindness, making jokes about the vulnerabilities of others isn’t a privilege you’ve somehow earned. It’s a weakness, a lack of empathy.

The easiest way to travel this road, and the most satisfying, is not to try to compare your potential trip to anyone else’s. It will suck every ounce of life out of you. Just take each day and get the most out of it. Enjoy each moment. Even if you are 54, 5’6” and start at my exact same weight, your journey to your goal will be a completely different series of losses, stalls, fits and spurts. Be feisty, fierce, willful and wise! Follow your plan and you’ll have this!

What’s the big deal with steak?! I can and do eat steak, pork, brats, chicken, sausage, etc. I have since purée phase.

I’m evil so I happily sip water and think thoughts like, “You poor eaters. You just shoved 300 calories into your pie-hole!’ ”Bless your heart! Do you realize that slice of carrot cake is actual 17 servings?’ 😄

After suffering for 12 years with a horrible band experience, I was sleeved in May 2018. I started the process in Jan 2018. By the time my May 17th surgery/revision date came, I’d struggled down to a 30 BMI. My husb of not quite 2 years kept asking if I really needed the revision. Regularly suggested maybe they should just remove the band and get out. He never knew me at 260lbs. He never saw me bigger than the 209 I blossomed to after our marriage (so I knew his questions were innocent in nature). Your husband sounds a bit different. It’s understandable. It’s a frightening time for him. He’s about to have his life change too. The woman he’s married to is about to transform. You will! Completely and totally. In so many ways. He knows this. Can you imagine how he feels? Don’t let him shake you, though. Have empathy but keep YOUR compass straight! As far as age goes, i’m 54 now. I was almost at the mid-point of 53 when I had surgery. It’s been a breeze. Age means nothing. Your lower BMI will be helpful. I was at goal quickly. I am well below what I ever imagined. Even with a 3.8 pound holiday gain, i’m Right in the middle of the recommended weight for my height. My surgeon said if I wanted to gain a few more he’s fine with it. If I want to maintain this, perfect. He doesn’t recommend losing anymore. Think about that!!! It has been 20 years since a doctor told me they don’t recommend I lose another pound! THIS COULD SO EASILY BE YOU IN SEVERAL MONTHS! ❤️👍🏻🤷🏼‍♀️

I was sleeved 5/17/18. I’m now maintaining in the 130-133lb window. I’d like to go to 119 just to say I weighed under 120 lbs again but it would be ridiculous. I already look too thin at this weight. I’m a size 6. I could fit in the same clothing I fit in from the time I was in my teens all the way through my mid 30’s. Not losing more/maintaining is as difficult as getting the last 79 pounds off in the first place! The desire to lose is always with me. However, just as I was disciplined with myself about reaching this goal, I have to be equally disciplined about remaining a safe and healthy weight. If it’s not one thing, it’s the other. 😄. I much prefer this challenge!!!

Dude! FABULOUS WORK!

Each body has a natural rhythm. I was a faster before fasting was “a plan”. I stuck with it through life, through surgery... During the times in my life where I tried so hard to do the strict breakfast/lunch/dinner timetable as prescribed, (no eating after 7pm...oh, horror), I packed on weight. My plan is exactly what my body loves; I have liquids, including a protein shake if I feel like it, until about 1-2p. Sometimes that extends to 3p if I can’t muster any interest in food. Then from 2pm until 8-9pm, I get my protein in using solids, shakes, bars, whatever. I go to bed around 10:30pm nightly and fall asleep by 11pm. Usually get up around 8-9am and start over. I ate this way as a kid, through high school, etc. The only time this changed was during the 10 year period I was super heavy.

After my Consultation in January, I ordered these measuring shorts that sync with an app on my phone. They are called, “Like A Glove”. Think spandex workout shorts that send measurements through Bluetooth.. They use the measurements to chart inches lost in high and low waist/hips. From 2” below belly button to just at upper thigh. They also use the measurements to tell you what size jeans are most likely to fit you in which brand. (It gives me an idea where to start...) I never measured my natural waist in the beginning, I’m curious to see what my surgeon has, but it’s 25” now. According to my magic shorts, I’ve lost 10” inches off my waist for mid-rise jeans and 8” off the widest part of my hips (which makes sense considering that’s where all my extra skin is). All I really care about is that I’m getting leaner and feel wonderful in clothes! At 54 years old, I could easily fit into the cute little clothes I wore in junior high. The numbers don’t mean all that much to me.

My heaviest in 2007 (260lbs) to yesterday in my oversized onesie (131lbs). I have a mild cold so I’m just “messy hair” lounging for a couple days. Retired life!

I’m a little late to the party but I did Thanksgiving the Monday before. I cooked two turkeys, one Saturday, one Sunday. I cooked all the sides. I baked a double batch of pecan pie bread pudding. Along the way, I took tiny tastes to make sure my freelance/non-recipe cooking was on par. But that’s all. No real sampling. Each day I kept a protein bar or shake at hand and slowly ate them instead of the fattening food I was preparing. Then, 30 minutes before Turkey time on Monday, I ate a protein bar and filled my belly. I had room for only one small bite of three of my favorite dishes. Later I had a small piece of pie. I sent every single leftover except a bit of turkey and two slices of pie for my husband right out the door with the kids and grands! Not only did I not gain a thing, I’ve lost 2 more pounds since our Monday Thanksgiving!!! Honestly, the protein bar a half hour before known temptation is such a great trick. My husb uses it, too. He’s doing so well...no surgery, just embracing my habits!

You are as cute as a button. The neck is the age definer on women. That's the thing that kills us! I think you look great but it's about what makes you happy. My face has softened up some because of weight loss and will continue to soften up as the swelling goes down. We've already identified areas that need tweaking. However, I choose not to. This is fine. It was about all of the extra skin on my neck in the beginning. Tat is gone!!!! It evolved into a bit more than I'd initially thought about. To me, everything above the neck was just icing on the cake! I just wanted to look good for my age. I got the bonus of looking a few years younger. This won't last forever. In another decade, I'll be at the "good" end of looking exactly my age, I suspect. That will be just fine. We all have to look at ourselves every day. We don't do this for the world, we do it for us. What can you live with? What can't you? Right?