My story - Would like a friend in similar situation

[Hannah83 214]

(waves) I'm a 34 female and I will be sleeved tomorrow on the 31st. I am 5'8" as well and currently 258. My goal is 170 pounds. Thanks for opening up and sharing, keep going! You've got plenty of cheerleaders here!

[LoBMI VSGguy46 56]

I had a complete stall at 3 weeks. Ive lost 15 to get down to 230 since surgery. I have a totally different outlook on working out after watching Dr V's Videos on YouTube about working out. I was a total gym rat before the surgery losing 30 lbs in 7 months. I tried to be a gym rat starting 8 days after surgery and I still hit a big time stall. Im not taking in enough calories to supply my body with the tools to grow muscle and lose fat. So im taking awhile off too see if I start losing quicker.. Check out Dr. Duc C Vuong Working out after Gastric Sleeve

Thank you, I will. Do you have a link for me?

[LoBMI VSGguy46 56]

ບໍ່ເຕັມລ້ອຍແລ້ວ! Under 100 kg!

Today is a milestone for me. I weighed in at 219.2 pounds. This means I am under 100 kilograms! I dipped under 100 kg once four years ago but I haven't really been in this territory since 1998 when I ran a marathon. Feel happy about this! My next short-term goal is to get under 216.5 pounds, which was the lowest weight I got to four years ago before putting it all back on, and then some.

I actually had a couple pieces of candy last night during Halloween, which was a lot of fun for our family.

Yesterday I also ran 1.3 miles then lifted weights. Felt good. I watched the video that someone mentioned above about not exercising after weight loss surgery, and while I think much of that is true for most people, I think I am a bit different since I have been running daily for months and have good muscle mass/strength. My doctor recommended this, too. I can get the calories down needed.

I also had a lunch appointment for the first time since surgery yesterday. I was nervous about it since I haven't told anyone about getting sleeved. It went just fine. I ordered Soup and finished half of it. Don't think the guy noticed anything strange as he already knows about my weight loss journey, just not the surgery.

One more thing--my endocrinologist messaged me to decrease my Metformin dosage. So now I am only on one 500 mg pill per day for diabetes! Hope to get off that, too! Lab work today and appointment next week.

Sleeved on 10/18/2017
Male, 46, 5'8"
Day 14
HW: 270, SW: 232, CW: 219, GW: 170

[LoBMI VSGguy46 56]

I think a girl actually flirted with me today. That hasn't happened in a long time!

[LoBMI VSGguy46 56]

I've found myself cheating on the post-op diet, snacking on a little here and there that I'm not supposed to eat yet--crackers, chips, candy. My family have left these around the house after Halloween and have been too tempting for me. Need to clear them out. But I've chewed them until mush and swallowed. No pain or negative reactions in my gut. Kind of wish there were so it would be a deterrent.

[LoBMI VSGguy46 56]

My son had a birthday party today and I actually ate three small pieces of pizza and part of one piece of ice cream cake. Of course, not at the same time. I'm only 2.5 weeks out of surgery and am surprised I could do this. I know I'm not supposed to, so I am worried that I will not be successful. The sleeve is a tool, they say, but I don't think it will be as big of a tool for me as I thought it would be. We'll see. But I realize that I will need to exercise self-control as much as I did before.

Sleeved on 10/18/2017
Male, 46, 5'8"
HW: 270, SW: 232, CW: 219, GW: 170

[Iconcinnity 209]

Doubts... I know you're not supposed to look at the scale every day, but I have been. (Don't lecture me.) Today (day 9) was the first day I didn't lose weight. Most days it's been down more than a pound, but this morning my number actually went up a tick. Do we call this the Day 9 Stall? For the first time I feel the fear that I've already gone as far as I will.

Also, I'm wondering if my surgeon made my sleeve too big. I can eat a whole can of Soup (cream of chicken with one can's worth of Water added) easily in one setting. Not feeling the restriction. Worried now that I'll never lose much beyond this.

It ebbs and flows - some days you're down and some up and sometimes nothing at akl. It happens to all of us. Consider your body is changing at the deepest cellular level and give it time to catch up. It will!

Sent from my LG-TP450 using BariatricPal mobile app

[LoBMI VSGguy46 56]

Day 20 now. I'm doing well. I've ate some solid foods ahead of my plan, but I chewed them up VERY well before swallowing and I seem to be okay. But I am still going to do my best to stick to the plan in spite of these few lapses. My weight has started moving down again, very slowly. My exercise has been fantastic. Ran my 1.3 miles this morning at my fastest pace ever and even forgot for a while that I had had surgery. Did my dumbbell, sit-up and push-up workout after running. Felt great all day.

I do feel restriction now with those solid foods. Don't feel a need to finish a plate full of food. But could snack on pudding and applesauce all day, if I wanted. Still trying to fight the sense of hunger, but winning the battle mostly.

My clothes are all loose now. I will need to buy new clothes soon. Clothes I had saved because they were too small for me are now too big.

Today the president of our org commented on my weight loss for the first time. He congratulated me. He, like everyone else, doesn't know I had surgery. However, I don't feel bad or dishonest like I thought I might. That is because I still feel I am earning all of this weight loss myself with my continued diet and exercise. The surgery just helps my body to cooperate.

I definitely feel additional confidence coming on to a level I didn't have before. I'm not embarrassed by my body as much as I was. I feel like I look good, even though I realize I'm still fat. I never wanted my wife to take or post pictures of me online and now I am posting selfies quite often. Just happy with the results so far.

I am blessed because I feel like I am doing well with the sleeve, no complications and good results. I'm down to only one Metformin pill per day and expect to come off that soon. My blood glucose numbers have been perfect. I find out my A1c numbers tomorrow. Off blood pressure meds and blood pressure is perfect. Plantar Faciitus is gone. I feel like my sleep apnea has gone away and don't need my CPAP machine like I did before. (But I will wait a few more months before doing another sleep study.) I don't know how long it will be until I no longer have fatty liver disease, but I pray that this day comes soon, after which I think I could declare: Clean Bill of Health!

Sleeved on 10/18/2017

Male, 46, 5' 8"

HW: 270, SW: 232, CW: 217, GW: 170.

[LoBMI VSGguy46 56]

Milestone! Today I weighed in at 216.4 lbs. My lowest weight when I lost weight 4 years ago was 216.5. So now I'm thinner than that and as thin as I've been since 1998 when I ran a marathon. Woohoo!!

Day 21, Sleeved on 10/18/2017

Male, 46, 5' 8"

HW: 270, SW: 232, CW: 216.4, GW: 170

[LoBMI VSGguy46 56]

Another important milestone happened yesterday. My endocrinologist took me off of all diabetes medications! Very happy about this!

[Meryline 546]

I'm honestly surprised that you have cleared to run just a week after surgery. And now you are running and lifting on the same day. Most people are allowed to lift max 5kg for the first 3 weeks, and no running, just walking. The body is healing and should get as much energy as possible for that, not deplete it with exercise.

[LoBMI VSGguy46 56]

I'm honestly surprised that you have cleared to run just a week after surgery. And now you are running and lifting on the same day. Most people are allowed to lift max 5kg for the first 3 weeks, and no running, just walking. The body is healing and should get as much energy as possible for that, not deplete it with exercise.

Yeah, I realize I am not most people and my doctor realizes that, too. People should not follow other people's examples but follow what your doctor orders.

Depleting energy--calories are a measurement of energy. We don't lose weight unless we deplete calories/energy. We build muscle mass by breaking our muscles down and then our bodies build them stronger. I am both losing fat mass and gaining muscle mass. My doctor says this is excellent and I'm doing exactly what I need to be doing for me.

[LoBMI VSGguy46 56]

Had another great day today but dealt with a lot of gas this afternoon. But eating has been good (find myself both full and hungry) and exercise has been GREAT! Gained another pound of lean mass and lost another pound overall. Feeling stronger.

One thing I've noticed is that I seem so much colder these days. True, the temps are dropping outside but I used to be fine with a light jacket and no gloves or scarf. Now I need many layers, gloves and a scarf to keep from shivering. But, hey, small price to pay!

Sleeved on 10/18/2017
Male, 46, 5' 8"
HW: 270, SW: 232, CW: 215, GW: 170

[Sosewsue61 3,185]

Did you tell your Dr you ate pizza, crackers, and candy? The sleeve is a tool, but your head didn't have surgery and only you can control it - not your sleeve.

[LoBMI VSGguy46 56]

Did you tell your Dr you ate pizza, crackers, and candy? The sleeve is a tool, but your head didn't have surgery and only you can control it - not your sleeve.

Yes, I don't keep any secrets from him. The goal is to keep under 100 carbs a day, which I do most days, easily. So he wasn't worried about that. However, I did not report eating these things here as if to say it is okay to eat those things--I reported them as lapses. There are two concerns with eating--one is how food will physically "push" the sleeve's seam and the other is nutrition. Chewing food well makes a big difference for the former, and keeping your macro/nutrients at the daily goals is what's important for the latter. I know what I need to do and will stay committed to eating right, and according to the plan, in spite of those lapses.

Your comment sounds like a rebuke or as if you've caught me in hypocrisy, or something. I am using this space to log my journey--not to boast or expect others to follow my example. I want to be completely honest as I log my experiences--it does me no good to lie and say I didn't eat some pizza, when I did. I'm not trying to impress anyone. I don't need to worry if people will like or agree with what I have to say because I'm not trying to convince anyone about anything--just telling my story.