NtvTxn

Yay, a "long timer" - congrats, you've done great. I've been learning how to maintain and put the brakes on losing since the first week of November. It's tricky, nobody told me this would be the difficult part. I hope it stays this easy. You answered my one question; has your hunger returned. I'm glad to hear what you wrote. I hope I'm as lucky as you. Second, when did you reach 'full capacity' as far as eating? I'm eight months out and can eat a half cup of food. I weigh and measure almost everything when I'm here at home. If it's soft stuff like home made Soup, I can eat a part of a little piece of french bread with it, but you get the picture. Will my tummy get larger? What should I expect? I'd heard that it reaches it's full size between 8 and 12 months. Thanks.......and again, CONGRATS!!!!

In the losing phase, i was averaging 675 calories per day. I reached goal, losing 78 lbs, in just under five months. I am now 11 lbs under goal and am learning to maintain. My dietitian recommended 900 - 1200 calories per day. She said I'd have to experiment to see what worked. I've been able to quit losing when I eat 1050 - 1100. I know that if I were eating 1300 - 1500 calories a day I would see the scale start inching up. Pre-surgery, years ago, my personal care physician and I discussed an 1800 calorie a day diet. She acted like that was a NORMAL amount for a woman who is 5'6" that needed to lose a little weight. At that time, I needed to lose about 25 lbs. I don't think 1800 or 2000 calories a day, a 'normal' diet is possible after having 85% of our stomachs removed. I'd have to eat really high calorie foods and I'd have to do it constantly. I'm eating off and on all afternoon NOW. Not to mention, I really do think I'd gain.

I'm ten years older than you, my BMI was 36.6. I'm 5'6 and weighted 228. I reached the goal my surgeon set in just under five months. (150 lbs) Now I am 11 lbs under than. I'm getting the hang of maintenence and never dreamed putting the brakes on losing weight would be the tricky part. This surgery is the best decision I've ever made for myself. My self confidence is better than it has ever been in my entire life, shopping if fun for the FIRST time in my entire life. I wear a size six jeans for the first time ever! I cannot believe it's me. I just now recognize myself in the mirror and I am finallly wrapping my mind around going to the right dept when I shop for clothes. It is strange not going to the dept. for larger women!!! You will not, and I promise, you will not go back to the doctor and want the other part of your tummy back!! I never had a second of "buyers remorse". I love my sleeve!!!! Good luck!!!! I too was self pay, I had my surgery done in Texas, it was less expensive there, I am currently living in Wisconsin. NtvTxn

thanks Tiff!

Still no hunger at 2 years??!! That is very encouraging!! Do you get that 'empty' feeling? I do, usually at dinner time, not at lunch and I could go without eating Breakfast, but I don't. I call the empty feeling my 'new hunger'. I could ignore it, but I know that I probably need to fill it. Make sense? I hope it stays this way forever!

Tiffany - how do you put the actual pictures in your posts here on a thread? Looks great, I love the 'beachy' picture!!!

Someone suggested saying you are on a doctor supervised low calorie/portion controled weight loss program. It's the truth. How about gall bladder surgery? I've heard people say they've lost weight after that. I have a friend who wasn't even overweight AT ALL who lost weight after going on Topamax as a migraine preventive! LOL People who didn't know, "decided" she had an eating disorder. People are going to think what they're going to think when it comes down to it!

No 'buyers remorse' - not for one second!! It's the best decision I've ever made for myself. I never had any problems, surgery was easy (get a heating pad), recovery was easy and if you treat this surgery as a 'diet' until you get to goal, losing the weight is not difficult. Afterwards, we can live our life as 'normal' people and stop all the yo yo dieting. It is wonderful; it takes some getting use to, not feeling guilty when we take a bite of something decadent, like pumpkin bread, but a few bites and you're satisfied. Life is different and wonderful. Cravings for me at least, are gone as is real hunger. I can guarantee you, you will not go back to the doctor and want your stomach back!!

Mine is a 32, what's yours Mini-Me? That seems to be about what all the doctors in Dallas are doing, some do a 34, and ONE that I know of does a 30.

NannieG!!! Yay, congrats! I bet you'll go even smaller. I am at eight months (on Feb 11th) and just went from an 8 to a size 6 jeans!! (I actually bought two pairs of jeans at The GAP and one was a 4 and one was a 6.....all the ones that really fit were a size 6) The size 4 was vanity sizing, I'm sure of it! LOL I've been maintaining since the first week of November....after consulting with my dietitian I went from an average of 675 calories a day to between 975 and 1050. Some times a little more. I really need to get in a little over 1000 to keep from losing. I dropped to 139 last week, which was my all time low. I've been hovering at 140 - 142.5 and I'm comfortable at that. My surgeon set my goal weight at 150. My "goal" was a size 8, but I did want to lose to 145 so I'd have a cushion, as it turns out, I do not NEED a cushion, I am snacking off and on throughout the afternoon to get in all the calories I need to keep from losing additional weight. Are you at goal?

Yay!! Congrats....I always loved it when I'd wake up and would have lost 2 or 2.5 lbs, it was like Christmas morning!!! Prayers for you, for another .5 lb, 1 lb or more tomorrow!!! Every single half lb counts to get us where we want to be!!!! At least that is how I looked at it!!! LOL I agree 100% - it is impossible to overeat, one bite too much and I am really uncomfortable. I hate it, talk about negitive re-enforcement!!! I love my sleeve!!! I'm glad your stall is over!!! Have a great day!

I love the support group I attend. I actually had surgery in TX, but currently live 'up north', but the group I found welcomes anyone at any stage. I found them pre-op and started attending several months before I had surgery. It's fun to hear other's stories and also fun to answer questions for those who are just starting their 'journey'. The best meeting, or the most fun so far was last fall, they do it every year...it's called "show and tell" - people tell their stories, whether they are pre-op, post-op, whoever wants to talk. Several who were at goal, who who'd been going for a few years or more brought before and after pictures and there were two people who brought "before" clothes. Both brought a pair of pants they wore before surgery......there is NOTHING like a visual. I have a dress and a pair of jeans that I kept. I've gotten them out a couple of times over the past eight months....OMG!!!! My husband laughs at me too...or he did, now I have HIM playing the 'what will I weigh in the morning' game with me when I weigh at night!! It's funny that YOU play the same game! I liked weighing, although it was depressing BEFORE I had my surgery!!

I'm with you 100% - I weigh every single morning and a second time at night. Night time is a just a game I play, I weigh and then guess what I'll weigh come morning! Some say weigh once a week or even once a month....not me! I'm glad to hear somebody else say they do it every day! My reasoning is the same as yours, if I start to gain, or if I continue to lose, I can get a handle on it!

Pumpkin07 - how funny!! A binge now sure has changed for us, hasn't it? I have to say, I bet 10 fries were a lot....if you're hiccuping, you are full!!! Our lives have changed!!

Oregandaisy - this is what I worry about. I purposely eat the goodies to maintain - to add the additional calories. When I lay off, I lose. Like I said, I am paranoid that it will end and I'll wake up 10 lb heavier. I ate steamed shrimp the other day, high in Protein, low, low in calories...and I didn't snack as much...I woke up the following morning at 139, my lowest weight so far. I had not dropped below 140 until then. It took the cupcakes over the weekend to bring it back up! It's crazy!! I can't imagine doing this forever! I've gone from skim milk (i've switched to skim 17 years ago) to 2% just to get in the additional calories. I'm really at a loss. If as you say, this will come to an end, I'll have to switch gears again.......I'll deal with that when the time comes I guess. It's nuts!

OMG - but Pumkin07, look at good you've done. How long have you been at your current weight? Do you think you're at a stall or is your body at a comfy weight? What if you up your Protein and Water (this is what seemed to work for me)? Are your calories still farily close to what they were when you were on a losing streak? Good luck.......you have done great, look at where you started, I know you must feel wonderful!!

Hi Infernored! Just a short note to let you know....I initially started out thinking I'd get 'banded' - until someone at Dr. Davidson's office suggested I research the sleeve. After I did and after I started 'trolling' these forums, my mind was made up. Plus, the thought of fills and un-fills from now on was NOT appealing to me at all. That was before I read about erosions and bands slippings. Just a side note, one of my friends, who wanted a sleeve after seeing my success but could not get one because of insurance......ended up getting a band in Oct. - she had to have it removed a six weeks later. She had nothing but problems. Now she is just waiting until her insurance company approves paying for VSG!!! Our fingers are crossed. I didn't have one problem. My husband was not 'for' me having surgery in the beginning, but once he saw I wanted to really do this, he was on board and has been supportive and my biggest cheerleader. He has fun seeing how much FUN I am having shopping etc. It's the best thing I've ever done, I feel great and had an easy time, thank goodness! I had NO health issues before, and hopefully now I won't have any in the future! Good luck!!

FallenAngel - I have a little advice....only worth what you're paying for it! First of all, for me personally, I did not consider by-pass simply because I know 9 people who have had RNY and all but one started gaining their weight back within three years. Of course nobody gained ALL of it back but some gained enough back that they are wanting to have another procedure done to 'tighten' it back up. Ugh. There are a couple of people I know of through friends that never got close to goal, which was unfortunate. I have to say, I knew NOBODY personally who'd had the sleeve, but I followed this forum for six months...obsessively. There are not "long term" stats, but I can tell you that I am very optimistic about keeping the weight off. Right now I am fighting to STOP losing and just maintain! At some point, I think THIS surgery will become the 'gold standard' for WLS. That said....if by-pass surgery is what you want....I think you can find a surgeon that will do it. Shop around. I would not settle. Had Dr. Davidson not wanted to do the sleeve and had said he wanted to do the band and insisted, or suggested doing RNY just because - I'd have thanked him and gone to Dr. Nicholson or one of the other doctors in Dallas. It's your body.....you should take their advice, listen to the reasons, but in the end, it's your decision.

Firefly2 - I got the same book from Dr. Davidson. I think all the "Forest Park" doctors give it out to their by-pass/sleeve patients. I've read it cover to cover a few times, and still, this far out, I refer back to it. I call it my 'Bariatric Bible'. I am still entering my stats in the back!!

MustangAli - I had a couple middle of the night 'should we spend the $$' but I was never scared of following through with the surgery for any reason other than the money aspect! I was self pay!! I have NEVER had one second of "buyers remorse" - it is THE single best decision I've made in my life. It's been disgustingly easy, the tricky part is stopping the weight loss....at least for me. I don't think maintaining and all is as easy for everyone, we are all different, but so far it's been easy, although I still FEAR waking up and having gained 10 lbs and having pre-op hunger!! Crazy stuff...when will it end??!! From what I have read, and I follow this forum closely, and have for over a year now....unless you have an eating disorder, that makes it more difficult - the sleeve is a great tool for weight loss and it is NOT hard if you follow your surgeon's advice. As with any weight loss surgury, you can fail or re-gain, but from my experience, with this restriction and loss of hunger....you can't help but lose weight. Good luck, I can't imagine you'll be sorry if you follow through.

Chilo - I know we're all different and it scares me to think I will wake up and tomorrow, the 'I am starving' hunger will be back and I'll have gained 10 lbs over night. The irrational thinking drives me nuts some times....and I know it makes my husband think Dr. D took out half my brain as well as 85% of my tummy! I feel very fortunate, but I do worry that it's fleeting. I have no idea if it will last and I don't know how long , if ever before I'll relax and just enjoy it. When will I feel secure. I am sure you'll reach your goal, you've done awesome and I am certain you must feel good and be proud of yourself. Doesn't it feel wonderful to wear a normal size and not shop in the women's dept??!! I still glance over there when I pass by and remember what it was like and how I shopped because I HAD to have something and how it was NEVER fun. You'll be in your size 12 (10 US) comfortably, before you know it!!

Yes!!! I feel the same way. Even though I am not trying to lose weight and even though I am seriously working on maintaining.....I'm comfortable between 141 and 143; when I dropped to 140, I adjusted my 'comfort' weight to 140 - 143. This past week I actually dropped to 139 - even though it was freaking my husband out, I was like you, secretly excited!! ( He has had this fear from the beginning of "How are you going to stop?" ) I have managed to bring it back up to 141.5 as of this morning. I pretty much eat anything I want now days, even though I can only eat small portions. My daughter baked made-from-scratch cupcakes this weekend and even though I couldn't eat an entire one at one time, I ate a little over half 2x's. I am still working at getting past the "is this bad???" feeling - I KNOW it's not, but you know, all the psycological stuff we have to work through, after years of dieting - it takes a while to leave that behind! I'm glad to know I am NOT the only one who 'delights' in this.....but I really do not want to lose more!

My personal "goal" was not a weight, not really....it was a size....I wanted to wear a size 8! I went shopping last week because my size 8's are too big. That's right, now I'm wearing a size 6! Shocking. I'm 51, and I wasn't wearing a size 6 in highschool. I don't remember EVER wearing a size 6, I'm serious. I am certain I went from a 6x in elementary school to a size 12 in jr. high!!! It feels good, I look at them and am sure there is NO WAY I can actually slip into them, but lo' and behold, they fit. Of course, I thought the same thing about the size 8's, I didn't think I could really put them on!! I love my sleeve.

Kris, Do NOT get discouraged, there was a time when a 12 seemed like a dream and I told myself that if I never wore a smaller size, that is what I was wearing in in high school and I was NOT big!! An 8 was my goal, I never even considered a 6....it still seems unreal....it just happened recently, I'm still in shock! I know it may seem out of reach some times....but I assure you, it is not! You'll look back and see that although NOW it may seem like it is slow, when you look over the course of your life and all the ups and downs - a nice steady weight loss is great and it really does happen quickly. (many times I'd lose a lb or two and then gain a lb the next day and do that a few days before it would stay off, but it WOULD stay off!!) It takes a while for your mind to catch up! Good luck!!!

I wasn't even a six in HS....i don't ever remember wearing a six.