Weight Loss Surgery Success Stories

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So, I'm a little late on this one, but not a lot has changed between month 9 and 10. I'm wearing a range of sizes depending on where I'm shopping. Old Navy and Wal-Mart in a size 4-6, small to medium tops. Rue 21, and more juniory sizes I'm in a solid 7, sometimes a 5. Life is good. I'm happy, healthy, figuring this stuff out is still a learning process. Things are tasting better these days, and some of my old stand by favorites have lost their luster. BUT, I am finding that I'm eating a very balanced diet including veggies/fruits/proteins/carbs. I'm short some days on Protein, and over on carbs, but I'm not stressing about the numbers with the exception of calori…

I've lost 51.8 lbs since surgery!!!! Which means I've lost 69.2 lbs since last July when I first went to orientation. I am about 1.2 lbs from being halfway to my goal! I can't believe this! :w00t: My surgeon told me about the 60% in the first year stats, which would mean I'd be down to 190 by January 2011. He told me at my 3-month post-op appointment 2 weeks ago that I may not necessarily ever make my goal (140). I'm gonna prove him wrong. :thumbup: I'm going to get strict on my exercise regimen again, and I want to be in Onederland by May 15th, which is the day I'll graduate from college. I think that will be a nice way to go out. So I'm hoping to lose another 12.2 lbs i…

I had my six week post-op visit with my doctor and everything went well. He was pleased with my progress. I have lost 39 pounds since my surgery. I am pleased and ready to start shopping for new clothes. Pre-op I was wearing a size 22W and the last time I bought some clothes they were a 14/16. So I am starting to see some progress. I will keep everyone posted. I will add pictures soon.!!

So I keep on wanting to ask the same thing on every post so I figured that I would ask in one thread and that way all new comers could reference this thread. FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN SLEEVED and been very successful:: What 5-10 things can you share about your diet, exercise or change in behavior that has yielded you such success?....(YES us soon to be sleeved peeps want what you have.) Every post really is so inspiring and any advice would be so amazing to hear.

Whenever I go out to eat I try to be careful about what I order, but sometimes I just really want something that I won't be able to eat the whole plate - or even half. Not many people are open to sharing meals with me so I have gotten used to spending 15 dollars for about a cup of food. Everyone loves eating off of my plate and eating my leftovers, though! The waiters get annoyed with me when I don't want a drink with my meal, they must think I am so cheap!!! I am down 45 pounds today. It's been 3 months and I was hoping to have lost more, I know I am still losing. It was so great to wear shorts and bathing suits on my Spring Break trip to the Philippines.

This morning when I weighed in I passed the 50 pound mark. Things are happening so fast. I'm almost halfway there. Today I put on size 38 jeans. My fat pants were 46. We have a good Amvets by my house so I have been buying interim clothing from there until I get closer to my goal. Then I will buy the good stuff. I'm feeling more healthy than I have in years. I know that if I were living like I am now, I would have probably lost weight anyway, but the sleeve is such a good tool. It is training me on quality of food and portion control. That's what I need. Exercising is going well too. I'm slowly starting to jog. Today I did my usual 3 mile rout but I ran abou…

Omg am I sore Jusr sleeved 12hours afo

Just crossed over the 70 lb. loss mark (one milestone I set for myself along the way). It has been right at 3 months since my surgery. I also have two general questions. Did most of you who have achieved (or who are close to) your goal weight start with large amounts (of weight loss) and then moderated to smaller amounts as time went on? I am down to losing 1-3 lbs a week now. Also according to my dietitian there is no Peanut Butter allowed. Although my friends who have been banded and had by-pass use this regularly. I was just told no. Is this a hard and fast rule across the board? Thanks as always to all the support and encouragement. I brag about ya'll to our local sup…

ok so day by day its getting better and at times i forget that i even had the procedure and im just a few over 7 days post op. it kinda scares me that to my jumping joys surperris.. I LOST 7 kgs at the 7 days followup check.. whaaaat that 3 pre op and 4post = 7 kgs = 15.5 lbs.... math n facts.. its really unreal. i dont feel much differe nor look but the face is slimmin out.. im so worried in the back of my mind of other parts of the body boobs, side boobs, tummy inner tighs etc.. i am afraid of loose skin.. my doc doest want me to do any exercise beside normal walking for a whole month ... but i get tempted to sign up for a full regieme.. SO i want to know what you gu…

The thing is, everyone needs sweats and just run around clothes, and it was always such a shame I could not just pick them up at Sam's bc the XL, and if they even had an XXL it was also too SMALL. Plus I'm short and it is hard to find petite women's sweats that fit. And who wants to hem a pair of SWEATS??? Not me!! Yesterday, 5 weeks out of surgery, picked up an XXL capri sweats at Sam's Club and said, "ooooohwwweeeeee these are big". Then grabbed a XL pair of sweats/capri cut and walked off with them to purchase. Stood in a long line and kept looking at the pants and finally realized..."Holy CRAP, this size is still too big." So then I HAD TO walk ALLLLLL the …

WOW! How much has my life changed in 5 weeks. From being a Diet Cokeaholic too nothing but Water is something I thought I would never change. Just couldn't see my life without it! But I am free! I am SO happy I had this surgery I know I would have continued down a destructive path if not for this. I am glad I did it before I damaged myself even more. I took some measurements last week and had lost almost 12 inches in a month! I have cleaned out my closet and gotten rid of unflattering clothes. I got into the jeans I haven't worn in YEARS!! I have a bunch of stuff going on ebay and to Goodwill. Today when I got on the scale I am down to a weight I was 18 months ago when I …

:lol0:THAT IS RIGHT I FELL THOUGH THE HOLE OF "ONEDERLAND" I'M 197.2 AND I'M NOT OBESE ANYMORE JUST OVERWEIGHT! (no there was no cake or tea waiting for me) 127 pounds down! can you belive it! i have work my ass off guys and i just so full of emotions right now. i was so worry that the sleeve would not help me get to goal because i was so huge. i have 47 more pounds to go. i average about 10-12 pound a month still. i'm 7 months out and 2 weeks not too bad i say. when i look in the mirror i don't even see me anymore just a girl i havent seen in some years. can you belive i was 323 pounds just 7 months ago who would of thought! as far as my sleeve i don't know how much it c…

Hi everyone. It has been awhile since I posted but things are going well. I continued to jump through hoops to convince everyone that I was serious and sane in my decision to have the surgery. Finally the day came. Last Monday, March 15th, I had a VSG and everything went well. I am so excited at the possibility of being at my ideal weight within a year. The liquid diet before and after surgery was difficult for me but I lost quite a bit of weight already because of it. Now, since yesterday, I am on the stage 3 diet of blended foods. After one day, I think this will be easier. There are a lot more choices and I get to chew again! After loosing 39 pounds my wi…

Put pictures on my profile of my 9 month update. Not nearly as cute as Tiffy, but I am kind of happy with the results!

Just 10 weeks ago, I was wearing 18's and XXL Tops. My closet has been dwindling due to me, well, dwindling. So I decided to hit some thrift stores and see if I could find some jeans and business clothes. To be honest, I wasn't sure what size to get. I tried 14's, but they were too big - especially in the butt. I ended up looking at the 11/12's. While not all of them fit, most did. (Anyone else have issues of weight falling off everywhere but the waistline???) Then, it was off to blouses and sweaters. I think I was floating down the clothe aisles. It was AWESOME!!!!!! Now, my sights are set for those "mini" sizes like 4,6, & 8. I can't believe I've lost 4 sizes in…

Tomorrow marks my 9 month post-op from band to sleeve. What I've learned: I can eat like a naturally thin person. I can enjoy exercise and social activities without obesity holding me back. I loved myself before, but now I actually like myself. I have recognized my triggers, and weaknesses. food is fuel, not comfort. And most importantly, none of the physical changes outweigh how much healthier I am emotionally. Now for a little attention whoring! ! ! Before 270 pounds size 22/24W Afters 130 pounds size 6 I could never wear hooker boots because my calves were so huge, and I refused to buy ones that were cheap fake leather with elas…

Today I left the obese category for good. I am just overweight. My two pairs of borrowed size 18 jeans are getting loose. Whoopee! It sure feels good. I still do a double take when I see myself in the mirror...it's like I am seeing some other person... It seems like just yesterday I was heading off to Mexicali for the surgery... By the summer I'll be able to shop for a "permanent" wardrobe...that will be FUN. Thanks for all the support, y'all.

Has anyone had these shots to work in conjunction with the sleeve? I have recently heard about it just not sure if it will work. Your input is appreciated. Thanks.

After sitting at 205 for 4 weeks, my stall has finally broken and I am now officially in onderland. I weighed this morning and the scale said 197. I am so excited!!!! I am finally beginning to feel successful.

Hi! It's been a while since I've been online, I was waiting (what seemed like forever) for my surgeon to refer me to an experienced VSG surgeon, and I FINALLY have the consultation appointment this Tues 4/6 at UCLA with Dr.Mehran! I am so nervous, I am scared that they will reject me for the VSG because I am "damaged goods" since I had the band for 7+ years and when they took it out and tried to convert me to the Bypass, my previous surgeon said my insides were too scarred to do the conversion. She did think I was the perfect candidate for the VSG, since they would be cutting out the damaged part of my stomach anyways. Ok, so here's my question: What kinds of questions sh…

Well as many of you sleevers know, or maybe will know, that we continue to wear our same clothes once they become comfortable and beyond. I kept wearing my same 2 pairs of jeans because they were comfortable and loose and probably made me feel good because although hardly anyone had commented on my weightloss they made ME realize I had lost weight. So I had been thinking I am about the weight I was before I got pregnant with my son. So I dug out the jeans I wore for my birthday right before I found out I was pregnant. I remember feeling SO good that night in my skin! Well I put them on and they FIT!! A little tighter in the waist than I prefer but a few more pounds and th…

Hi all. Hope you all are well. Between life getting in the way, exercising (yes, really!), and just not being online, I have not posted for quite a while. But I am doing quite good. I broke the 130-135 pound barrier. Last time I weighted myself I was 252. Wow. Whoda ever thunk it? And my energy is feeling much better. I have a 5K jog race goal for early June, and a 10K race goal for late August (at a Flint,MI, race called the Crim). Hope all are well!

I finally went shopping for the first time since surgery and I bought all regular sized clothes and didn't even hit the women's section once! A few things didn't fit, but that was ok there was plenty of clothes that fit great! I'm hoping to get over this stall and join many of you in onderland soon. I've joined a Zumba class that starts a week from Monday and I can't wait! Wish me luck.

I've known for a while that a new pair of jeans was going to have to happen soon. I have one pair that "fits" and by that, I mean that they are long enough on me. I am 6'1" and it's HARD to find women's pants/jeans that are long enough. The one pair I have can be taken off withough even unbuttoning and unzipping them. That being said, and this might be more in the category of JUST PLAIN SAD, I took off running after my puppy yesterday and MY JEANS CAME DOWN IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD! One hand was tied up with her leash and the other was holding my pants up. SAD, but fun at the same time! HA!

Well, this morning the Wii fit told me the news that I have HIT my surgeons weight loss goal!!! It is not MY weight loss goal, as my ticker will tell ya...LOL!!! It is so funny to think that my surgeon thought this was all I would lose. Damn doctors underestimating me...LOL!!! I can't wait to see him in June and show him I beat his and maybe even my goal!!!!! Now, why do I still feel so fat????? Guess that will be my motivation to keep going, and going, and going and..........

I know this is somnething many have asked.... but when I had my first consult the surgeon said I would loose about 73% of excess weight..... The 2nd surgeon said he works on a formula which blows all the % out of the scale, as it takes everything into consideration, height, weight and BMI..... he is one of the leading surgeons inthe world on sleeves and is actively teaching/lecturing worldwide as well as operating. He reckoned, after researching all his prior patients (including DS as well) that you take the pre op BMI divide by 3 and add 14. That would then give you your new BMI after weightloss..... Sounds a bit weird I know, but with me that would make my BMI 25.…

Hi everyone!! It's been a while since I have been in here, but guess what also happened? I found out I Have a LIFE!! Feb 9th was my One Year Aniversary or re-birth, what ever you want to call it, and I am sooooo glad that I made this life changing decision! So much has changed for me. I am so much more healthier and have not felt this good in 15 years or longer. I just turned 51 on Jan.24th and am NOT ashamed to tell my age like I was before. I had my blood work done and everything is WONDERFUL! No, I did not make "goal" in a year, I have 22 more pounds to go, but I had a LOT to lose and am quite happy with my progress. I just wanted to share my happiness with …

I have finally lost 100 pounds! I got my husband to take some pictures. We were in a hurry and they aren't too great, but whatever! I'm glad to be here after 8 months...I think 100 pounds in 8 months is pretty incredible! It's a beautiful day out, so I'm off the computer and back outdoors with the puppy!

I'm one week shy of my 9-month bandiversary, and this morning the scale dropped below 200! YAY!! Haven't been here in years and it feels amazing! Thanks to everyone here for all your posts--reading this site has motivated me every single day since the very beginning when I was just thinking about getting banded. This surgery has changed my life, and I am so grateful! Val

Holy cow, today is my bandiversary. I’m just going to let my fingers do the walking and see where this story takes me, so try to stay with me if I get a little boring! On March 4th, 2009 I drove to my clinic with my mom so early that she had time to get McDonalds Breakfast. I was so glad the day had finally arrived, more than anything glad that pre-op was over and the medical issues I was going through weren’t stopping me from having surgery. I weighed 255lbs that day, down 15lbs from my highest weight of 270 which was recorded at my consultation for lap-band surgery, January 13th. What a year. I now weigh 90lbs less than I did when I started this journey at my consul…

I would appreciate any information on Dr Almanza or Dr Jose Rodriguez good or bad. I'm close to making my decision on who to choose for my VSG surgery. Any info would be great. Thanks :redface1:

I am down 70lbs which is my midway point. I just one month shy of a year post op with the Realize Band. I am so proud of what i have accomplished and hope to lose the remaining 70lbs within this next year or less!!! Its so great to FINALLY see the difference and feel the difference all that weight made. This was the best decision of my life.

:thumbup: Can anyone please tell me what life is like after sleeve surgery.Such as what you can eat or will be able to eat in the future. Thanks

Hi everyone, I am about a week or so over my 7 month surgery date on July 27th, 2009. Everything is going really good for me. I started out last January at 430 pounds. The day of my surgery I was 387 pounds and today I weigh 257 pounds. I have two sets of measurements from the surgeons office. May 20th, 2009: Weight: 414 pounds Wrist: 8.5 inches Waist: 56 inches Hips: 62 inches BMI: 53.22 Jan 20th, 2010: Weight: 268 pounds Wrist: 7 inches Waist: 44 inches Hips: 49 inches BMI: 34.41 I have been exercising and going for snow shoe walks however it has been infrequent. I have been trying to get better with that and be more consistant but when I …

Hello Veterans Sleevers.. Just trying to wrap my emotions around the pain which may be experienced. I have one child (23 years old) and still remember labor pains. Is the surgery pain comparable to child birth??? Also, are the drains normally removed before discharge. My surgery is with Dr. Aceves in Mexico. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks to all!!:001_tt2:

My NEW birthday 3-10-10 Sleeved-check. Recovering-check. My re-Birth-priceless! 4 days post op. Surprised at how well I feel! The hospital was rough. Had an IV debocle-IV infiltrated and busted through the vein just after surgery, so none of my pain meds and anti nausea meds were getting through my body. My arm was swollen, hot and red! Needless to say, dry heaving after gastric surgery is NOT a good thing! Thank goodness my daughter was able to come for a visit and stay with me overnight at the hospital. It was a rough night, but I made it through and was able to go home the next day. Walking everyday and enjoying NOT being hungry! Still getting used to small sips...…

So, three months ago today, a major bodily organ was sliced into pieces and part of it was pulled right out of my body. Funny, seems like a lot longer than that. I am down 59.5 pounds since December 1 when I started this journey and 43.5 since surgery day. The last two weeks have only garnered a two pound loss each, but my sleep pattern was really a mess as my husband worked nights to do some training. I still track every meal on myfitnesspal.com, and I average 750-800 calories (sometimes a bit over, but not regularly), 75-90 Protein, and 30-40 carbs (again the rare overage, but not ever over 50). I will be 42 in two weeks, and I don't consider myself a fast…

Hello Sleeve Friends! I have been thinking a lot about my final goal weight lately as it gets a little closer every day. When I went in for all my pre-op stuff (that seems a lifetime ago), my surgeon came up with 209 for my goal weight. I'm 6'2" and have always been overweight, but I know the charts say I should be around 175. I don't want to get preoccupied with that number, so I changed my ticker goal back to my surgeon's goal today. Now, when I look at myself in the mirror, I feel like I have way more than 40something pounds to lose, but I can't say that for sure. I am going to stick with my surgeon's goal of 209, and when I make it to that number, I will just see…

Tomorrow is jean day at my work and I needed to go buy some new britches. It was a very full circle day for me. One of the "ah-ha" moments for me was about a year ago at the Gap. I went in to buy some jeans and the 14's were way too tight, and they were out of 16's. So I left with no pants, and the realization that my weight had gotten to a point where I could not find a size in a "normal" store, only in plus size stores. Today, when I went into that same Gap, I started with the 12's - too big, the 10's - still a little too big. I left with a SIZE 8! (They are snug as a bug, but I am still about 20 pounds from my goal) A size 8 and a SMALL t-shirt. It was exhilarating. I …

I'm not much for posting and blogging. I did read alot on this site before and after my surgery. I was always very inspired by the before and after success stories with pictures. It occurred to me that I should give back and post mine. I hope they will encourage someone. I was big every day of my life. I was born 10.5lbs and just ran with it :sad: I finally realized that you can BS everyone else, but you can't BS yourself. I knew that even though I wasn't extremely obese, I was never going to be able to do it on my own. I knew I would only get heavier. I had never exercised 1 day of my life. I had made the worst food choices I could make. I knew why I was fat. Hell, I'…

I've had an amazing week, just wanted to share. First, I bought a size 6 pair of pants (down from a 22 last July). Secondly, I took my resting heart rate Tues. and it was 60 (down from 80-85 a year ago). Then I had my measurements done at Curves today and have lost a total of 72.5 inches! And my most exciting news was that I got a new job this week. One that I would have never had the confidence to even apply for a year ago. There's travel involved and a lot of interaction with people. Before I was always so tired and did everything to avoid being around people because I was so ashamed of how I looked. I love my sleeve and just want to thank God for this opportunity to l…

Well Let Me Introduce My self My Name Is Lennie I am An ER RN at the Lowell Gen Hospital I had been obese all my life fighting the bulge evey waking min and losing. On Sept 26 2007 three months after joining the program of Dr Jisers I had the gastric Banding as of 9/7 2008 i have lost 188 lbs. I feel great. My cardiac history is improved I am off my meds EKG shows complete re profusion which to the lay person means the heart preety much has healed. My Diabetis is gone no more meds NOw to be fair the banding is a great tool but its only a tool if you dont follow a good diet and exercise program you might as well do nothing I walk 3-5 miles a day I eat only vegtables…

I am about 1.5 months post op and doing well with weight loss. Everyone who sees me once a week or less comments on how good I look and they almost always ask me how I feel. The problem is I don't necessarily feel good (yet). How long does it generally take until you start feeling "good?" I know that is a somewhat ambiguous question and very subjective. I wanted to hear from you veterens who have been such a help and inspiration to me already. Thanks! Greg :001_tongue:

I'd like to thank everyone who replied to my post. For those of you that posted your after pictures you look wonderful. It's been so long since I've been small that I've forgotten what I used to look like. I think it's been 25 years or more. Even when I was small I don't think I ever felt small. I just want to be healthy and feel good about myself. I finally got up the nerve to tell my husband that I was considering going to Mexico for the surgery and he was fine with it. He's just wants me to be healthy, safe and happy. If I could hear from a few more people that has gone to Dr Almanza or that has scheduled their surgery with him I would be ever so greatful. Thanks …

So I am about 2.5 months out, surgery was 12/22/2009 My stats: Consult weight (Oct. 23): 362 Surgery day weight: 350 Current weight: 312.8 But my NSV is that I was, for the first time ever, able to use the elliptical today! I've tried in the past and never made it more than 3-5 minutes without dying. Today I went 30 minutes on the fat burning program. So while my weight is slower than it should be and I have lost any clothes sizes... I'm getting more fit! I even had an older woman at the gym come up to me after and say "don't take this the wrong way, but I didn't think you were going to be able to do it, THAT'S AWESOME" I didn't take it the wrong way, I am 300# an…

So today makes 1 month past surgery and time to take my measurements. I was floored by the results: Waist - down 5.25 inches Hips - down 3.5 inches Right Thigh - down 2.25 inches Left Upper Arm - down 1.25 inches Neck - down 0.5 inches Under breasts - down 2.75 inches Breast cups - down 3.25 inches (well, that's not such a good one :frown1:) Grand total loss? 18.75 inches gone forever. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Went to both surgeon & GP last week and was taken off High Blood Pressure meds that I have been on for at least 10-12 years. I have lost almost 60 lbs. in about a month and a half.:scared0:

I am 50.2 pounds down since my December 1 preop diet began and 34.2 since surgery two months ago today. Woo Hoo!

Y I P P E E. IT'S GREAT TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE !!! THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT, Y'ALL.

It seemed my stall broke this week so I started weighing myself again everyday and this morning I am 199.5!!!! I am so excited! This was my first mini-goal and I feel such a sense of accomplishment. I know it's not much different than I weighed yesterday, but it just feels so great to be under 200 lbs.