Used2b575lbs

I know you have a bit of a different regimen but my last two weeks were 2 atkins premade protein shakes (breakfast and lunch) and a big salad with chicken, fish, turkey, eggs and cheese or other proteins on it.

You can definitely fail it, you have to mentally be ready for it I was 306 lbs at 13, I dieted and by 16 was 245, then ran all the way up to 485 dieted down to 395 , then 526 down to 435, then 568 down to 452 and finally 575 till now and that's all the big weightlosses over the past 20 years there were quite a bit of other 30, 40, 50 lb losses that I don't remember. I started the process at 575 with the sleeve in place I don't think I will ever get anywhere close to that again. I would really have to mess up. What is considered successful for the sleeve patient? Everyone is different and has a different definition of success... Of course i'd like to keep losing and have a BMI of 25 or below but what if I spend the rest of my life around 225-250 is that successful? Of course we all have to have goals to strive for and most of us should be able to hit those goals but for someone like myself "success" has a different meaning. Maybe for some it's to be off medications, to fit in a size 14, to play with their children or grandchildren, or to have children of their own. If you spend your days eating every hour or two and eating junk that will slide through you sleeve you probably won't do as well but I think the point everyone is making is you have to work hard to fail at this. True story: I used to love love love taco bell, my head still does and I still go occasionally but here's my meals Before surgery: 2 chicken chalupas supremes, 3 soft taco supremes, a 1/2 lb cheesy rice and bean burrito and 2 32 oz cups of dr. pepper (lava sauce on everything) After surgery: 1 bean burrito, a few bites to 1/2 of a second bean burrito and I am absolutely done before surgery I could leave there and eat Cookies or something else my appetite was outrageous but after surgery I eat that meal and I don't even want to look at food for 90 minutes. Am I saying go have taco bell no and I know it's not the best choice because of all that carbs but I still do indulge myself from time to time

If you're at a stall or gaining monitoring carbs is necessary but if you're losing just keep doing what you're doing.... I focus on Protein, Water and exercise but I drink quite a bit of skim milk in my coffee 12 grams of carbs per cup and also have some other carbs throughout the week. Mostly though my meals are chicken, eggs, cottage cheese, or some other Proteins

I'm surprised the surgeons office is having you write this letter. I went through 3 appeals with Cigna and my office handled every one of them. The letter does sound good though... Good luck!!!

congratulations what a great achievement!!! I'm so glad to be removed from those days when i'd take a shower, then work up a sweat getting dressed myself... Keep up the good work you're doing great!!!

welcome and good luck on your journey

I drink lots of coffee, lots of water too but lots of coffee... I only put skim milk in it.... Actually thinking about changing it up somehow but not sure as skim milk has a good deal of carbs in it.

I got in trouble for a 2 month period but it wasn't just at night it was in and out throughout sometimes I would be great and do what I was supposed to and at other points it would be combos, Cookies, chips, etc.... I realized that I slid back into some old habits and while I haven't totally gotten rid of them I have gotten a lot more stringent and I am much more cognizant of what I am doing. You're doing great, and now that you've realized it, you are well on your way to fixing that problem. I believe you don't totally have to deprive yourself otherwise as mentioned above you will binge, so from time to time I do enjoy these things that are bad for me, but for the most part I stick with the plan.

WOW! I thought I was the only one, I have that same pain and if I sit especially in a vehicle for long periods of time it becomes excruciating. My job is a desk job too, I have sltihered out of many seats. When I was really heavy two years ago I had something called Pilonoidal cysts or jeep riders disease and I thought it was that again but this is definitely my tail bone. I keep forgetting to ask but next time I see my doctor I am going to find out what the deal is with the pain.

No drain here, guess it depends on the doctor... Through all of the pre-operation my office never mentioned a drain, but many here have them.

Congratulations on 100+ WTG!!!

I was able to keep up a reasonable pace for a mile the other day, I haven't jogged or run in 15-20 years and I was able to do my first mile in 12 minutes and 20 seconds I couldn't believe it. I ran, slowly, but I ran!!! It felt so good, I was winded but recovered in a short time, can't wait to do it again and hopefully improve upon it!!! 2 years ago I could hardly get off the couch or floor or get dressed now I can run!!!

Thank you for all this wonderful information and for coming here to share your experiences at 3 years out, as someone in the 8-9 month range now your insight is so helpful. Congratulations on your success!!!

Don't beat yourself up your body is still in the healing stages, ups, downs, and plateaus are common... This is a lifelong journey and the weight will come off following the advice of your doctor and nutiritionist. If their plans says to be on full liquids then stay with it unless they are making you sick. If that's the case contact them and ask.... At 8 months out i've had some stalls and some gains but the overall trend is downward, keep at it follow the plan work the sleeve and try to stay optimistic. Give it time your body is going through a lot of changes that pound plus some will be gone soon enough.

Thanks for sharing and congratulations on your success!!! Can you tell me a bit about your skin 2 years out? Do you need surgery for that or have you considered it? With being at goal has all of you thinned out or are there still areas that the fat sits in now. I'm about 9 months out have lost 114 lbs since surgery but also lost 200 lbs before that obviously i'm probably going to have to have a surgery for this at some point and was wondering. I know everyone is different but was wondering what your take is on this? Thanks

I lived on cheese, especially cottage, egg whites sometimes with cheese, and beans especially refried... I also found out early on I was able to tolerate slow cooked chicken with a sauce pretty well as long as I chewed it up good.

I got sick a handful of times always from eating too much too fast.... At about 5 weeks out I was eating egg whites with melted cheese, and cottage cheese regularly, I also at slow cooked chicken with broth, it was always thigh tender cooked and cut up and chewed very well.

I got approved two days after starting at my job, I was told that I couldn't take time off for 90 days and setup the surgery for beyond that point. I don't think you have to tell them what kind of surgery but you should tell them you need to have one and ask them for their input, in my case it was please schedule it after 90 days. I guess it depends on the company but I know if I tried to have the surgery in the first 90 days I wouldn't have a job.

Until you reach the solid stage, in the timeframe that your doctor has setup you may not feel that restriction. Even to this day over 8 months out there's thing I can eat and eat and eat or drink and drink and drink if I wanted to and paced myself. However if I have the 3-4 ounces of chicken, turkey, fish or other solid Proteins I am so full. Give it time and follow your doctors orders you will A) lose weight and feel that my sleeve is full feeling soon enough Keep up the good work

Congratulations what great news!

I am 8 months out and I still have a problem with cold liquids they make me ill this includes shakes, puddings, yogaurt, frosty's, etc and it doesn't take much for me to feel the effects. I can drink Protein shakes room temperature and that's how I also always have had my Water. I don't know if it's stomach spasms but this group of liquidy solids causes problems for me and often cause sliming even in the smallest amounts. Granted some of these i'm not supposed to be having but I have tried to indulge and then learned my lesson, hope this helps.

Keep your head up! You will get there! We all make mistakes and many of us have struggled in getting to this point. I was all set to have a bypass in 2003, my insurance changed 2003-2009 none of my insurance companies would approve bariatric surgery I was all set to have a bypass in October 2009 I was too big for the CAT Scan at my local hospitals I was approved for surgery March 2010 2 days after starting a new job with a mandatory 90 day waiting period All this waiting and delays made me stronger they made me want it even more, you will get there and you will do great!

First off congratulations on your success! Secondly yes it was somewhat insensitive if they wanted that cake they could've had it on their own time in their own place and just celebrated with you in some non food way. My birthday was 11 days after the sleeve I was still on liquid Protein shakes, my family did not Celebrate with cake or anything. They did say happy birthday and gave me gifts which I was grateful for but I was glad there was no cake. Since then there have been times when there is cake around but I know nothing tastes better then thin feels, I do not totally deprive myself if I really really really want something I have one bite and savoir it. As far as the yogaurt goes I have problems with cold creamies, some things i've had a problem with include shakes, yogaurt, frosty's, pudding, in the cold form. I actually drink my Protein Shakes at room temperature and have no problems. Hope this helps.

Congratulations easily one of the best decisions I have ever made...

Everyone questioned me and still does... They say you lost 200 lbs on your own why didn't you just continue? Why did you have the surgery? You could've lost all the weight on your own... etc. etc. etc. Well you know what they aren't me... I knew I could easily put 200 or more lbs back on and be in worse shape.... Fortunately my immediate family knew the struggles and had gone through and were very supportive.... Many people just think they know what's best for you, and everyone has an opinion. It's taken a long time but i've pretty much blocked them all out. The one person that I am having trouble with is my wife. I'm at 259 now down from the 575 and she's afraid that i'll get too skinny but I know I still have a way to go, so I am trying to fight that battle still as she doesn't want me to lose much more.