ashsleeved21

22 hours ago, NickelChip said:

I love this advice!

It reminds me of something I heard a long time ago, that when you're walking across the street, if you trip and fall, everybody knows you just pick yourself up and keep going from that spot. But a lot of times we act like when we make a mistake or have a set back in other parts of our lives, we somehow get dragged all the way back to the corner and have to start all over again, when it's not true at all.

This is so true! Before VSG I would always have the mindset of "starting tomorrow". If I messed up, I would say "Okay I'll try again next week". Consistency isn't about being perfect, it's about being able to stick with something long-term. I, like everyone, have my days. Sometimes I just gotta have a Snickers bar after an exhausting long day. But I sure as hell don't eat one every day after that for a week! The quicker you can learn to pick up where you left off without starting over, the easier lifestyle changes become. Wishing you the best on your journey. Don't hesitate to reach out if you ever need anything.

5.5 Years Out

Hi all -

I used to be very active on these forums, but as I continue on my journey I have found myself relying less and less on this platform. I do like to check in occasionally to provide insight, encouragement, perspective, and more to those who are about to begin their journey or in the first few chapters.

A little about me- I had VSG surgery in May of 2018. My highest weight was about 260 and I was put out on my body and my weight affected all aspects of my life. I lost a total of 140 pounds and have maintained (most) of that weight loss. I am up about 10 pounds in the last year or so, but mostly muscle as I have begun weightlifting so I am not too concerned. I had two plastic surgeries after my VSG to help with loose skin and such.

My favorite non-scale victories over the past few years:

Being able to walk into any store and find something that works for me

Having my boyfriend be able to pick me up as if I weigh nothing

Being able to cross my legs when I sit!

Feeling cute in my clothes

My quality of life is exponentially better

My most unexpected experiences:

I am ALWAYS cold

I quickly pass out if I stand for too long

I struggle with Iron intake

Vitamins can make me feel super sick!

I get an upset stomach very easily

I suffer from acid reflux (something I never experienced before)

My unsolicited advice:

Listen to your doctors

Get active

Drink your water!

Eat your Protein

Having one bad or off day is not an excuse to have a bad week

You can still enjoy things in moderation

Hi Friends!

I rarely ever get on this anymore, but I know how pivotal these forums were to me at the beginning of my journey to have people alongside me going through similar experiences! I did this around this time last year and figured another post wouldn't hurt anyone. So, the facts! I'm currently 3.5 years out from VSG, down 140 pounds and kept off, and still living my best life! I have had two plastic surgeries, completed two degrees, and have never been happier in my life. For those just beginning, please do not get discouraged. I remember so vividly the nights I would cry with regret that I had made such a mistake, that my life was ruined, that I was upset I couldn't just do it the "normal" way. These are such valid feelings, but with time they fade. I still have my moments, even this far out, where I have thoughts of "I wonder.." but they are quickly shut down when I think of the quality of life I have provided for myself by going on this journey and seeing photos of myself from 4-5 years ago. So stay strong, stay dedicated, count those grams of Protein and ounces of water!! You have silent supporters in your corner! Always happy to answer questions or provide words of encouragement! Sending best wishes and hugs to all those who need it!

On 10/20/2020 at 7:28 AM, The Greater Fool said:

Congratulations.

Can you share your answers to the below? I think it would be fun to see your experiences.

Can you remember your pre-op goals? The things you wanted to do?

How did this compare to the reality post-op? Did you do those things? Other things?

What happened that you did not expect?

Keep up the good work.

Tek

Hi! Yes sorry! I don't get on here often. My pre-op goal weight wise was 125, which I exceeded. I, however, under the recommendation of my surgeon tried to focus more on "non-scale victories", so I wanted to be a size 4 in jeans (I am a 00 or 0, so again, exceed my goal). I also wanted to be able to do certain things. For example, I wanted to run a mile in under 8 minutes, be able to cross my legs while sitting, These were really the goals that kept me motivated.

The reality of post-op for me was really difficult, as I chose to keep my surgery a secret (still is) from everyone except my parents. I found that it was much more challenging than I expected. I found I followed most of the thing I had set out to (food logging, journaling, exercise goals, etc) which was really nice. I still try to mentally track my Protein and calories but I don't track it in an app or anything.

Things I did not expect: I don't have an affinity for food. I know that sounds really odd, but even 2.5 years out, nothing ever "sounds good" to me, I don't get cravings etc. I could go a day and a half without eating and not realize it. I literally have 4 alarms set to remind me to have Snacks and drink Water. Also the weirdest thing for me was not recognizing myself in photos. I spent so much time being over weight that sometimes I'll see a candid photo of myself and think "wow shes pretty" and then realize after the fact that its actually me. I know that sounds a bit narcissistic, but even now this far out I have trouble recognizing myself. Lastly, I'm literally cold all the time. I guess I got so used to being "insulated" that now if the weather drops below 65 ish (thank goodness for living in texas) I will need a jacket or sweater.

Hope this helps and I'm happy to answer anything else!

Hey! Haven't been on here in QUITE some time, but figured the most impactful posts I saw as a newbie were the people who were 2-5 years in, checking back and encouraging new people. To give some detail, I'm 2.5 years in, over 140 pounds down (and kept off) 260 lbs start, currently 115, have had 2 plastic surgeries, and my life has literally never been better. If you're new and things are rough, it's okay! This journey has been long, rough, exhausted but SO worth it. Best decision I ever made, it gave me my life back. I'm happy to answer any questions if anyone has any or just wants encouraging words

Well, I hit the one year mark a few weeks ago.. with that said, I'm officially 7 pounds from goal weight (down 111 pounds from 238 to 127)... So in honor of the one year mark (that I actually FORGOT about when it came- kind of embarrassed to say that) here are some NSV that have made me smile over the past few weeks.

1. I finally got my rings resized. I've been putting this off for as long as I could because I did not want to pay to have them resized multiple times. I wore 4 rings every day before surgery and weeks after they were too big. I resized one at Christmas time as a treat to myself but got the other 3 done last week.

2. I stole a pair of jeans from my little sister (she's 12 years old) who wears 16 girls... well they're too big for me. So naturally, I wandered into GapKids and bought myself another pair... size 12 in girls! WHAT!

3. I went on vacation to the beach and I wore a swimsuit... I haven't worn a swimsuit in 12 years.

4. Finally... I turned 20 right before my one year mark so for my birthday I treated myself to something I've always wanted but was always too ashamed to buy in my size.... a Gucci belt.

These last 7 pounds are very stubborn and have been hanging around for a few weeks now but I hope to have them off by the end of July!

Hi! A little late here but Dr. Gus Lyons at USMD Arlington hospital. Genuinely one of the most caring, kind, and respectful doctors I have ever met. I cannot picture going through this journey with any other doctor. We have laughed, celebrated, and cried together in his office. Would recommend him 1000x over. His nurses are the sweetest ladies too! The front desk staff can be a bit rough around the edges by Dr. Lyons makes it sooo worth it.

Today I bought jean shorts, which seems silly but it was a HUGE NSV for me. I was soooo afraid of jean shorts a year ago. Not only that, when the lady was helping me out, she asked what size I was. I shrugged and said I wasn't sure, and she said "probably these" and handed me sizes 0 and 2. Crazy! That in itself was a NSV.

Hi! I'm really glad I found this thread. Reading some of what you have to say makes me feel so much better in that I am not alone in what I am feeling. At my highest (probably around 250, although my official start weight was 238), I never felt "big". However, now I feel huge. I currently weight about 127, and although I wear a size 0/2, I still feel like I have another 20/30 lbs to lose, although that is certainly not the case. I'm about 5'3 for reference. I've talked with my surgeon about my case and he referred me to a specialist that I will be meeting with (hopefully) soon. It's a very weird emotion to describe because although I know in my head that I am no longer fat, something in my heart says that I will always be fat. I've tried explaining this emotion to my best friend but it seems as though people outside the bariatric world do not understand.

Hi! I started at about 240, and when I got to about 200/190 is when people started making comments (all good things). I'm 130 now (I'll be a year post VSG in 2 weeks) and most people I haven't seen in the last year or so don't recognize me. I still have 10 pounds to go but feeling and looking better than I ever have!

Dr. Gus Lyons at Arlington USMD hospital. I could not recommend him more. He has gone above and beyond as a mentor and a guide for me during my journey and I would recommend him 10000 times over. One of the best doctor's i've had!

Hey! I'm almost a year out and I've lost about 110 pounds!

Some of the biggest things I can tell you are the following:

1. As someone mentioned above, try not to compare yourself to others. Your body is different than everyone else's (height, weight, metabolism, etc) so focus on yourself! One of the best tools I got was a smart scale (I believe I got mine from Amazon for like 35 bucks?). It connects to an app on my iPhone and tracks weight trends, body fat, muscle mass, etc... I know that a lot of these body composition measurements are not super accurate, but having a general idea of the trend is reassuring. I would also recommend doing body measurements (I do mine every 3 months). Whenever I feel like I'm really stalling, I look back at my app and look at the little graph from the last 11 months and think "Wow, ok I did that." and it makes things a little bit easier.

2. Don't buy a ton of clothes right away... you're going to lose a lot of weight and your body is going to change. Look at thrift and resale stores for a few items every now and then to get a few things but if there's anything you really want (for me, it was a pair of really nice jeans) wait until you're almost to your goal or you hit a huge milestone and treat yourself!

3. Keep a list of personal NSV (non-scale victories)... I do this on the notes app on my phone. Whenever I am feeling down about myself or having a stall in my weight loss! In my opinion, the NSV's are more important than the numbers on the scale because I made this change for a better quality of life, not to see a certain number on the scale. Some of my favorite NSV on my journey thus far was buying size 2 jeans, having to get a new drivers license because people didn't believe it was me, and my personal favorite, being able to cross my legs while sitting.

Wishing you the best journey!

5 hours ago, iattcom said:

14 hours ago, AshleyS said:

Hopefully bringing back this thread because I enjoyed reading through it so much! At almost 10 months out, I've lost 100 pounds and have another 20 to go! My latest non-scale victories:

-Had to get my license photo retaken at the DMV because airport security at DFW airport would not let me through as they did not believe I was the same woman on my license!

-Bought size 2 jeans

-My skin has been significantly clearer

-Can now share clothes with my 11-year-old sister 😂

Hope to read about all the amazing things you guys are doing!

Best wishes to all

Yes do tell what happened when TSA would not let you through.

I just explained the situation and had another photo ID in my purse to show them it really was me. We had a laugh about it after! I eventually got through, it took a while though!

Hopefully bringing back this thread because I enjoyed reading through it so much! At almost 10 months out, I've lost 100 pounds and have another 20 to go! My latest non-scale victories:

-Had to get my license photo retaken at the DMV because airport security at DFW airport would not let me through as they did not believe I was the same woman on my license!

-Bought size 2 jeans

-My skin has been significantly clearer

-Can now share clothes with my 11-year-old sister 😂

Hope to read about all the amazing things you guys are doing!

Best wishes to all

Hi friends!

From the start, my surgeon informed me that "the last 30(ish)" pounds are the hardest to lose. I was wondering if anyone has also experienced this and if so, how you overcame this. I've been stuck around the same weight for about 3 weeks now, the longest stall on my journey so far. I am currently 5 months out and feeling great, but just trying to break this stall. I had the sleeve

Hi! I'm a bit late to this forum, but I want to tell you that it DOES get better, I promise. I was miserable for the first 10 weeks or so. I know, kinda a long time. I was crying constantly, regretting everything and not seeing enough change on the scale to justify what I had done to myself. I was getting sick 4-5 times a day, couldn't eat more than a spoonful of anything without having to vomit and having to run to the bathroom every 30 minutes. But, I'm 5 months out and things are incredible. It takes time because your body is adjusting and if you just stick to your meal plan, keep your head up and have a positive attitude then it will all work out!

Wow @Azmassage ! You look incredible!! My surgery was on 5/22 and I'm down 75 pounds, (sw=238, cw=163)... Still a ways from my goal of 120 (43) but very happy with how my results are going! Hoping to hit my goal by end of January but that is very ambitious! Can't wait to see how others are doing!

Hi all!

I really enjoyed reading everyone's successes! I was sleeved May 22nd, at a starting weight of 238. Today, I'm 170 (total loss of 68 pounds). My ideal/goal weight is about 120/125ish as I am 5'4, so I am a little over halfway to my goal! I workout 4-5 times a week for about an hour to an hour and a half of cardio and on the days I am feeling really strong maybe even an extra 30 minutes of weight lifting. I'm wearing both medium shirts and shorts and looking better than I ever have. I still get a bit frustrated when something doesn't taste as good as it once did but my new and improved lifestyle is the best thing I have ever done for myself. Can't wait to hear more about y'alls journeys!

I've thought I was the lucky one who wasn't going to have any hair loss... I was so naive. These past few weeks have been absolute hell for me. My hair has been my save and grace while I struggled with my weight. I have extremely long, thick beautiful hair that I get so many compliments on. However, as I watch it fall out in clumps in the shower it takes so much willpower to not cry as I loose the one thing about myself that I was so proud of. I've never had short hair in my entire life, but at this point, I am seriously considering cutting it to around my shoulders. It's currently right above my butt. I'm really torn because my hair has been something about myself that I really loved, but also I am transforming my life and feel as though if there is a time for a new look, now is the time to do it. I've lost 65 pounds in a little under 4 months (starting weight was 238 and current weight is 173)... Any thoughts? Thanks.

I had to go to a formal event last night. I was so worried I wouldn't have anything to wear because it was last minute. I found a beautiful gown in the back of my closet from when I was maybe 13 or 14 years old that I bought for a cousin's wedding. I nervously put it on, and not only did it fit, but it looked better than when I wore it the first time. I'm almost 20 now.

Hi Everyone,

I am a little over 3 months out! I'm doing really great, and have lost about 60 pounds (starting weight was 238 and currently at 175). Right now, I just need a bit of help/advice. I am a college student who commutes twice a week for classes, but my classes start at 8 AM and end at 7:30 PM. This leaves me having to pack Snacks and lunches as I do not have time during the day to leave campus for food. I am wondering what people are taking for snacks and lunches to work/school that is both easy to take on the go and bariatric friendly. My main problem is that I don't have access to a fridge or microwave (so whatever I'm bringing has to stay in an insulated lunch box for the majority of the day). I am getting really tired of string cheese and grapes! Any and all help would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

I'm almost 3 months out, and I've had a few NSV the past few weeks.

I took a 40-minute run and didn't want to die. I actually felt like I could have kept going.

I learned how to swim after 19 years because I finally felt confident enough to go to the pool.

My (very thin) best friend asked if I wanted to have some of her clothes because she's moving and needs to cut down on her closet. Everything I tried on fit me!

I had to buy size medium shorts! (I was wearing 3x at the beginning of this journey).

I'm very happy!

I too hate the taste of plain greek yogurt! But, I use it so much now and it is for sure a staple in my fridge! My favorite thing to do is use it as a base for dips.... One of my old guilty pleasures was ranch dressing and I found that you can buy the ranch powder (I like hidden valley brand) and mix it into plain Greek yogurt and it tastes pretty similar, well... good enough. It's a good Protein boost for snacks! I like this dip with carrot chips, which are just fresh carrots that are mandolin cut into chips (I buy them in the produce section at Tom Thumb). Another thing I have found is Greek yogurt cucumber dip! Just some plain greek yogurt, pureed cucumber, a bit of dried dill and lemon juice makes a really yummy Mediterranean inspired sauce for chicken and steak! Lastly, if I'm craving something sweeter I'll mix in some sugar-free pudding mix (vanilla or cheesecake flavored) into the yogurt and dip strawberries into it for a sweet snack or even dessert! Some idea's for spicing up the yogurt itself if you like it plain would be fruit, granola, and sometimes I like agave nectar!

My favorite brand is Fage and I usually purchase the large container at costco for pretty cheap! Hope this helps! Best of luck!

I would say an 8/10! I know it sounds like a broken record, but WALK WALK WALK!! I promise you will hate it when it's happening but thank yourself after! I pushed myself while in the hospital and walked as much as I could (to the point where the nurses wanted me to lay down and take it a bit easier)!! I was back to work in 4 days and back in the gym on the 5th day and felt really great! I would have said a 9 or 10 but my IV burst the vein in my hand (my hands are really tiny and the IV should not have been put there in the first place) and that caused a mild pain but it lasted 4 weeks. Best of luck!

Hi! I was sleeved on 5/22 and I was able to move to solid foods about a week ago. I'm down 40 pounds! Woohoo! I workout at the gym every day for about an hour and a half, which I was already doing way before surgery. I took 5 days off right after surgery and then went right back to it! My biggest problem as of right now is that at least once a day I get very sick, usually around noon. It's after I've had my Breakfast and usually a midmorning snack. My starting weight was 235 and I'm 5'3. I'm wearing shorts I haven't worn in almost 5 years and they're getting too big! Having great victories both on the scale and off!