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Hi, my name is Jennifer I am getting sleeved today actually and very nervous. I have been reading different blogs on this site prior to my decision to have the surgery which helped me make the final decision to go through with it. I started struggling with my weight after having my first child over 22 years ago but really hit my highest in the last four years. I suffered from depression from it and now beginning to have health problems due to the weight gain, so I need to do something that will help me get my health back on track. I think as many others I tried every diet you could think of and I was going to the gym, but nothing was working. I am ready for a fresh start and I am confident this time I will finally be able to succeed. I have a great support system and I have been doing a lot of research to try and prepare myself as much as possible. I am very nervous about surgery I must admit, but I have to look at it as a means to an end.

Maybe, but I doubt it. Years ago my insurance didn't even cover weight loss surgery. If they are provided with information indicating this has been on ongoing issue for you, you'll probably be okay. When I explained to the rep that I had not had surgery and the reasons why she was very nice and understanding. She didn't mention a thing about weight gain or loss. You could say they approved my surgery before I was ready!

I feel we are SOOOO similar. I definitely want to go to counseling after surgery. Just to deal with my underlying issues of WHY I gained weight in the first place. But I have to figure out if its covered on my insurance. I am definitely going to support groups though. My mother has ALWAYS commented on my weight, even when I was skinny! I feel thats a huge reason of my weight gain over the years. And I have always been the same, losing when I am in a new love and gaining it all when Im single or after the honeymoon phase of the relationship. Ugh. We also have similar stats! Im 5'3 and 230!

38 pounds in two months is incredible! Who cares if the doctor says it's too slow, it's a loss. You by passed 3 major weight gaining holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas) and still managed to LOSE weight! Don't ever let anyone tell you it's too slow, not even yourself. You are doing amazing and soon you will be at your goal Congrats on the 38 pounds love!

I just want to post to say how thankful I am for RNY. I was able to enjoy the holiday without over eating. It was wonderful. No guilt. Did I have a taste of a few treats, yes but just a taste. I was satisfied and no holiday weight gain. I know I'm only five and a half weeks out but I can already tell my habits and mind set are starting to change. I just pray I can keep going. How was everyone else?

Thanks Lorraine! My insurance and doc have me (barring complications) staying the night and leaving around dinner time the next day so it's about a day and a half stay. I heard walking really helps with the pains and since I know with vitals I won't be sleeping much anyway. The leak test both friends said they almost vomited over so that's excitement in the works, lol. I have such issues with permanency so I'm hoping the buyers remorse is minimum. It took me years to be ready despite my doctor begging me so I hope it'll be minimum to none now. I "kinda" have a have a good support network back home waiting. While I love my family, several of which who live with me, they are unhealthy to say the least and after much careful thought I chose not to tell them. I'm a therapist by trade and discussed it with my own therapist and it's just in my best interest. I have a few amazing friends who offered me to recover at their homes but there's something about home that I can't replace and my own space so I'm not sure what I'll do. Plus if I stay elsewhere I'll have more to explain. The syndrome that causes my weight gain causes me to need multiple surgeries too often so I can say it's related to that. I also hate burdening the worriers over the holiday especially when I don't have details to offer. BTW no TMI I need it all and thanks for taking the time!

I would also be cautious of the brand of protein. Some are meant to used as a weight gain add. Make sure you stick to whey isolate and as said above use it as a meal replacement. As long as you are doing that I don't understand why your doctor would have a problem with it. You're doing great! 16lbs is awesome!

How exciting that you are going to have a baby! I have two friends who have been trying for years. I think if you follow what ALL of your drs say to the letter; you will be fine. And try not to stress about weight gain at this point; the important thingi s the health ofy ourself and your baby. Merry Christmas to you and let us know how you are doing

Has anyone experienced weight gain after Starting Mushies?

Well, I have offially made the choice to get sleeved. I finally topped out at 222lbs and this is by far the heaviest I've ever been or plan on being. I was always able to maintain weight at 120lbs until I had my son 22 years ago. I yo-yo'd between 160-173 lbs for quite a few years. Truthfully, the weight gain from 173 to 222 was so gradual that I became adjusted to it....until....the knees started clicking, the back started hurting to the point of not being able to sit straight up for several minutes at a time, and walking 2 flights of stairs made me winded. After trying the gym, diet drops, diet pills, diets and every combination of those, I knew I needed a new tool. I originally wanted the lap-band, but the idea of erosion and corrosion and any other "sion" steered me to the sleeve. I go for my 1st consultation on 1-10-13 and we'll see what happens from there. I'm hoping that I have enough documentation from the other programs to get right to the meat of this journey. I am ready to do this!

I was sleeved on Oct 3 - down 36 pounds thus far and feeling great about it! My husband got sleeved on 12/19/12. He is doing great, healing nicely and we are on this journey together. Now, here is where the problem lies... Growing up with two brothers I have always been so competitiive. food was always a competition for me. If my brother had 2 hamburgers, I had to eat another hamburger (not b/c I wanted it but I always felt like I couldn't be outdone!) Hence my weight gain in adult life. Part of my success in losing weight thus far with the sleeve was that I was limited in what I could eat (liquids, purees, mushies, etc.) to prevent medical issues. Now that I am able to eat anything I am concerned that I will sabotage my own efforts b/c hubby is losing weight more quickly than I. I don't want to feel like a failure, but let's be quite frank...men can lose weight without even trying...us ladies have a hell of a time getting 1 pound off. Any suggestions on how I can stay motivated and losing when hubby is lapping me with his weight loss? I am happy for he and I to be on this journey together and he is VERY supportive of all my efforts and success thus far. I am more concerned about myself (my own worst enemy...) Any thoughts....

You may see weight gain during this phase. You are consuming more calories than you have since your preop phase. Your body is also going throught a lot of changes too, it is trying to keep all the reserves it can. It does not realize you are trying to do it good. Be assured this shall pass, and soon you will see a nice drop when you don't even expect it. The scale can be a blessing and a curse. Try not to obsess over it, don't let the number ruin your day especially during these holiday. Merry Christmas everyone!! Here is to a New Year that is filled with a lot less (weight wise) of each of us.

Evening everyone. I had my surgery on the 17th as well. Am doing better than what I thought I would be. By day 3 "pain" was pretty much "really sore" and I haven't had to take any of the perscription pain meds since. I go tomorrow for my first follow up which I am looking forward to as I am really about the climb the walls - I live alone and doc said no driving for a week. Weather and the no driving has made it hard for exercise, but hoping to be back in the gym on the 26th. Been doing cream of chicken, protien shakes and wonderslim puddings. Mentally, it's a bit crazy as I feel like I am constantly "eating" and of course, this want to equate to weight gain, but I have to remember I am only eating abt 2-3 oz/hour. Today I am finally feeling like I am getting a good amount of water in. Have felt so thirsty and know I have been dehydrated. Just try to make sure if I am not "eating" I am taking in water or other clear liquids. Good luck to everyone!!!

With the holidays and a busy time at work I have not been up on my blog as I should so here's to catching up the past two weeks. I made it back home after traveling to see the grandbaby and with the bad food and poor food choices, I saw some weight gain but I have recovered nicely. I hit the 170's this week and I could not be happier...I think I said the same thing when I hit 199 but for real for real I am so happy. I think I am inching upon a weight I seen in 2002 when I thought I wanted to join the National Guard. I think I was 172lbs then. I still have more belly and back fat than I can appreciate so I am hoping 18 of those pounds come from those areas and 3 come from my legs and the rest from my arms...lol...I been talking to each body part telling them what I need to see from this over the next couple of months...lol...I hope to be at goal sometimes at the end of Februrary first part of March. I have already bought me a swimsuit for the occassion. It is actually a bikini but in truth I probably would be more like to wear a monokini..A friend of mine has a vacation rental in Winter Haven, just outside of Orlando and it has an open week in February so it would be nice to go down and hang out at the beach. I also have a trip planned to Myrtle Beach SC in July when I should most definitey be at goal and ready to take all kinds of pics. So back to what my past fews weeks have been like....Resisting the temptation to graze all the holiday treats has been more than a challenge. Thank goodness I have an entire year for these days to come back around again because it has been absolute torture. My carb intake has been crazy...yet my sleeve has worked overtime and still posted a loss. I had a few days where I went up but it leveled out and the scale has been going down consistently for the past week. I had a year end goal of 174lbs and it definitely will be a challenge hitting my goal but I even still I could not be happier that I am even this close to goal...Fingers crossed.... Another positive thing is I think my hair loss is slowing up. However, it is so thin now that I do not wear my own natural hair without wearing a wig piece. My head is already big and so the thin hair dont do it no favors. See pic below. My head looks so big...But I dont go out in public like that...Folk might think I was sick or something...losing weight and hair...lol... One of the big pieces of news is I met a new guy friend. He is so different then any guy I would have ever dated as he had dreads and facial hair and I usually go for the bald and maybe nice goatee guy...He is light skin and I go for the dark chocolate and he is my age and I have always dated older. But he for whatever reason caught my attention and had held it everyday since we met last Friday. We have hung out everyday and I have not felt so "teenager" giddy in such a long time. I was in a 12 year relationship up until about 6 months ago and I thought I could never see past my ex...I would see other attractive guys but I never had the desire to pursue them or allowed myself to be pursued because I was so caught up in my ex and "saving" our bad relationship. Until now....So I am not sure if I am happier I met a guy that I am having fun with or that I actually am open to to seeing other guys. It feel so good just to know I am moving or have moved past my ex. He was not a good mate to me and so I wanted him out of my system for so long and just didnt know how to shake him...Somewhere along the line I did figure out how to shake him and did not even realize it...I think it has a lot to do with gaining my self-confidence and finding my inner worth that has come with the weight loss...Did I say I love my sleeve? Well I do...I has given me so much more then weight loss. The sleeve is not a fix all but it sure does bring some things to the surface for you to deal with and I am so happy things around me are working themselves out so nicely. I am in such a happy place. I have no expectation of my new guy interests beyond him treating me with respect so if it works out we are just friends I am cool with that too because the starting of that friendship for me seal the deal that the bad relationship was no more. Happy Holidays to everyone... HW 232 & SW 227 (VSG 08/17/12 & 5'8) Week 16 182.0 Week 17 179.0 CW 177.6 [Total Weight Loss 54.4lbs] GW 155 [22.4lbs until Goal]

Sarah I continue to check back on this thread because as a newly sleeved person I just can't grasp I risked my life and this could all fail. Please you have already shared so much and for that I thank you but could you please give an example of what you where eatting to cause regain. I really hoped the sleeve would prevent over eatting to some extend so total weight gain would be impossible? Give me an example of a bad day of eatting . Did you feel stuff and ignore that?

Yes, even though of course I know that weight gain during pregnancy is "normal" and even healthy and desireable, it is very hard for me to watch the numbers, which I fought so hard to make go down, go up. I know what everyone will say, that now is not the time to diet (and I'm not) and that I should not be starving my baby (I'm not), but I just want to validate you, OP, it is very difficult for me to "enjoy" or even deal with this weight gain! Good luck!

Jan 14th here. Quite excited! Need to start the pre-op now so I can avoid the christmas weight gain.

I have a date, Jan 10th, I'm so nervous, I have never had surgery ever, and now I'm doing it!!!!! I have so many emotions going through me, this has been an ongoing battle for me, 3 years. Of weight loss , weight gain to finally getting here.. Wish me luck, I'm about to change my life.

Weight gain right after surgery is to be expected. They told me in the hospital I would be up apprx. Ten pounds due to all of the I've fluids and advised me to wait a week or two after I got home to weigh myself. When I did weigh myself after two weeks I was down 17 pounds.

I can't help but feel a bit anxious about gaining weight whilst pregnant. Anybody else feel the same?

I am going to assume week one is losing the water weight gained while in hospital and due to our bodies try to hold on to what it can. Hopefully week 2 will be much better. Gen :-)

I weigh once a week. Period. And FWIW, here's how jacked up it can be: surgery day: 245, 1-week follow up: 232, 2 weeks post: 235. Am I concerned about that weight gain? Not a bit! I went from about 100 -200 calories a day after surgery to 800-1000 a day this second week. That 232 was partially water. It was like getting the flu. This is a marathon, not a sprint. "Finishing the race " (weighing a healthy weight) is what matters, not how fast it's done.

I weigh once a week. Period. And FWIW, here's how jacked up it can be: surgery day: 245, 1-week follow up: 232, 2 weeks post: 235. Am I concerned about that weight gain? Not a bit! I went from about 100 -200 calories a day after surgery to 800-1000 a day this second week. That 232 was partially water. It was like getting the flu. This is a marathon, not a sprint. "Finishing the race " (weighing a healthy weight) is what matters, not how fast it's done.