PamelaAM

I was especially excited to read your note because as you can see below, out numbers were almost identical and I will be thrilled if I am at my goal after a year!!! You have definitely inspired me today!

You look amazing!!! 100 lbs in 6 months - that is fabulous! I hope I can do that! You really do look amazing!

Simple answer. . .I am 57 yrs old and have lost and gained the same 100 lbs over and over and over again since I was 16 years old. Don't wake up and be MY age and STILL be 100 lbs overweight. Do it now - the sleeve is an AMAZING tool! I am already down 52 lbs in 3 months and I know it won't come back this time!

She actually showed me a meal plan that had 3 distinct meals laid out. There was a ton of food in each meal - all of the food that I actualy spread out over the day. She said that they want to get you used to eating only 3 times a day and not eathing anything between. Sorry, doesn't fit with what I know works well for me OR the advise of every other diet out there.

So I had my 3 month post op visit with the nutritionist as well as a PA from my surgeon's office. First the nutrition was telling me that when I hit the 6 month mark that I can only eat 3 meals and NO Snacks. I said "really"? I asked her to explain to me what the advantage is of eating 3 large meals vs 6 smaller ones during the day. I shared that all of the diet plans that I had every been on stressed the importance of eating smaller meals so that you don't get ravished in between. I told her I had NO intention of eating 3 big meals a day but would plan on sticking to my 6 "meals" of 200 calories each. She just looked at me and said "well, that would work too". Well then why are you stressing "absolutely NO snacks". Sheesh! Everything I have ever read AND other nutritionists that I have spoken to have all said that the more frequent smaller meals are healthier. Any feedback??? Second, the PA told me to wean off of my PPI. It was kind of weird because I had stopped taking them a month or so ago and when I went for my last appointment, the NP was appalled and told me to get back on them, so I did. Now the PA is saying I need to get off of them but to wean off slowly because if you stop cold turkey your body will actually produce MORE acid. So I am going to wean off but was curious as to whether you all are still on PPIs or no? Everything else going well. They said that they expect people to be at 50% of their weight loss at 1 year and I am almost at 50% after 3 1/2 months so I guess I am doing well. Weight loss has slowed to about 1/2 pound per week or so but I'll take it. And I know if I could ever get my butt to the gym more often that would really help. Bottom line is that I have lost 52 lbs in 3 1/2 months and am thrilled!

I am 57 and had my sleeve on September 27th of 2010. Would have LOVED it this had been available when I was 20 years younger :-) My life would have been way different! I love that so many of you young people are taking hold of your health NOW!

I seem to now have problems with lettuce, refried beans and avocados. . .no problems at all prior to surgery. Weird. . .

Oh my goodness I wish I would have known a couple of weeks ago - I was just in Nashville and could have packed up a whole other suitcase and brought it to you! I'm coming back on the 23rd of February but you will probably be a whole different size by then. Get in touch with me tomorrow at pmarquardt@pancan.org or call me at (909)744-7300 and let's see what I can send out to you. It's always tricky with this surgery because you are only at the different size stages for such a short period of time.

Leslie, you look absolutely amazing! And to everyone else, you should see her in person. . .gorgeous! What a tremendous success story!

You first need to save the pictures on your computer in a file that you will remember where it is (don't laugh, can't tell you how many times I have saved something and then forgotten where I saved it to!). Then click on your screen name here and it will take you to your profile page. You should be able to click on the tab that says Gallery and then there should be an Add Images button (or something like that) I am totally trying to do this from memory. If someone has the exact process written down, please post for Dawn so we can see her amazing transformation!

Yep, me too. I used to drink a TON of water every day - loved it. Now I can barely do plain water. I drink at least 3 of my bottled every day mixed with the Kelloggs K20 in the lemonade flavor. That way I am getting the 5 grams of protein per packet every day too. Between the (3) K20 packets and a Kelloggs protein bar or two (they go down easy and aren't dense like other protein bars) I can get an extra 25 -35 grams of protein in every day plus it helps me get the extra calories I need to get to 1200 calories a day.

Just wanted to remind everyone that there is a Clothing Exchange forum on this site. I didn't even realize it until yesterday when someone pointed it out to me. Great way to *recycle* our clothes and also help everyone out so that they aren't buying a ton of clothes at every different weight level. Just scroll down way far on the main page of the site to find the Clothing Exchange.

I have a whole box of 18-20 and some 22-24 tops (because I always wore the tops bigger). Where are you located?

Dawn! Amazing, amazing, amazing!!! What an incredible inspiration to us all! Isn't it strange though how we don't see ourselves any smaller? That is the oddest thing to me :-) Keep up the fabulous work! Why don't you post some before and *now* pictures? We all love seeing pictures for inspiration.

I am having crazy wild dreams still. Never about eating food just really weird dreams that kind of freak me out. I've never had dreams like this before and I don't take anything stronger than Tylenol. Weird.

You look AMAZING!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!! congratulations!!!!!!!

You totally ROCK girl!!! You look fabulous and I think I could read your blog all day long :-) You have a true gift for writing and what an inspiration you are to the rest of us! I'm right there with you on the hair loss. I am just over 3 months out and didn't have a lot of hair to begin with. So I've been busily shopping for wigs (have bought 4 so far) and wore one for the first time to work the other day. Felt really self conscious but everyong said it looked good. . .hopefully they weren't just being nice! Would love to chop my hair off really short like yours but would be afraid you would see big holes of scalp! Yours looks fabulous! Your brain will catch up with the weight loss. I'm going through the same thing. I still see the same *me* in the mirror but everyone else's comments let me know that there is apparently a huge difference. Keep it up and we look forward to seeing less of you soon :-)

If you had already lost 50 lbs on your own prior to surgery, it is not uncommon for your body to "hold on" to weight before it decides to release it. Especially if you are on a low amount of calories, your body might have gone into starvation mode. I was sleeved on September 27th so a couple of weeks before you and hadn't really lost prior to surgery. But when I hit the 2 1/2 month mark I was definitely stalling. Saw the nutritionist and she said I had to get my calories up from 800-900 up to 1000-1200 because my body was hanging on to the weight for fear of never getting food again. Once I was able to up my calories I have started to lose again. Slow, but at least I am losing. It is hard to get in 1200 calories - I am literally eating something every 2-3 hours. And if you are working out alot you actually need MORE than 1200 calories to not starve your body. Seems weird but that is the science of how it works. I, too, would suggest that you meet with the nutritionist and get some additional guidance.

So I had to totaly laugh at myself! I was 199.5 yesterday morning and got so excited! Only to see the scale back at 200 this morning. It was totally a psychological thing for me to start out the New Year below 200 - and I did, so now I can just get on with what I need to do to get to my goal. A huge thanks to everyone for your great support, as always! I love it that we have a place to come where everyone "gets it"! Let kick some a$$ in 2011!

Congratulations on having your sleeve! You can look at other people's tickers and usually the website is listed with the ticker. I use two different ones because they show different information. See mine below. One is from tickerfactory.com and the other came from myfitnesspal.com.

Wow! Congratulations!!!! Doesn't it feel fabulous???

To make sure that I get all of my protein in, I mix Kelloggs K2o in all of my water all day. It has 5 grams of protein and only 30 calories. I usually drink 3-4 of those a day so while I'm getting my water in I am also getting in an extra 20 grams of protein. I like the lemonade flavor but it also comes in Strawberry-Kiwi and Iced Tea.

I would check into maybe another PPI for the heartburn. As far as the meat goes, are you allowed to have meat at only 2 weeks out??? I didn't have meat until 6 weeks. And I still have a bit of a problem with meat (as in beef). It just sits too heavy and doesn't feel like it goes all the way down.

OMG! I didn't think it would happen! I have been at a stall for over a week and going up and down a pound during that time. I really wanted to get under 200 by New Year's day - I don't know, maybe psychological, but just wanted to start out the New Year in Onederland - a place I haven't seen for 10 years! Just wanted to share this success! Made my day! Hell, it made my YEAR!!!!