ToDream

Haven't had pop in nearly 1.5 yrs.... I've "tested" it but 1 sip frankly anything carbonated now feels super uncomfortable and way too sweet so I don't bother at all. Pre-op, I had soda EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I am getting closer to 1.5 yrs out. Very very very few people at work know I had WLS, all of my family and close friends do though. My family/friends are all on board and frankly some are thinking about doing it for themselves! The thing is, since my surgery I have changed branches/provinces ... so no one in the new branch at work knows my new weight is actually NEW since they've only seen me at THIS weight.

But I have a bad habit. I get PISSED when people that clearly have not had weight issues make comments about how other's eat/their weight/etc.... and start to get annoyed quickly and comment how regardless of their diet, its no one's business how they are as a PERSON/MANAGER... etc... they have NOTHING to do with each other. It really makes me MAD when people in my office do that and I'm not quiet about it either.

My weight is MY business. If I chose to tell someone about m WLS, then I will. Mostly I will tell others that struggle with their weight but even then, its a slippery slope. You don't want to offend. In their place, I would be so seriously embarrassed if someone brought up my weight. As much as I want to help those people, I know who might actually benefit from a life changing surgery such as this... its certainly NOT for the faint of heart.

I missed out when this program aired and have been looking for it online to no avail... any hint/tips?

I would love to see if there are any Canucks weighing in on this. I am just in the beginning stages of choosing a surgeon (which may include MX) and I don't know what the heck I'm doing right now....

I'm interested in this too... I'm researching PS right now and haven't picked a Dr yet

I love this thread! I hope my experiences are welcome here too! Your Do's and Don'ts are invaluable LilMissDiva, I hope you don't mind that I reposted that post on my own blog (I gave you credit for it). If you do, please PM me and I'll amend or delete as required I want all sleevers to have as much information as they possibly can and I love to offer as much insight as I can into those early days when we all had a million questions!

The reason popcorn falls on the "no" list is because of the husks and kernels. They can become stuck in the ridges of our newly created stomachs. I've eaten the popped part off of the popcorn a few times and done ok but I really recommend you stay away from movie theatres until you're a little further out if its a trigger for you to mindlessly eat. We have to stop the patterns that we did pre-op otherwise they will follow us post op and we will re-gain our weight!

Good luck!

The sleeve removes a section of the stomach called the fundus which is responsible for the majority of the production of ghrelin in your body, that's your satiety/hunger hormone. The surgery works 2 ways. One is physical restriction since you simply CANNOT eat to much. The second way is that it takes away the physiological response for hunger - you'll still get head hunger but the physical cramping/grumblies etc is gone.

I was back at work 6 days post op. I went back for day 6 full day and then did half days the rest of the week. I have a desk job so it wasn't strenuous but in retrospect, I was so completely exhausted, I should have taken 2 weeks.

It's none of their business and they can't ask what its for. My boss simply asked "is it necessary?" I said yes. That was it.

If you ABSOLUTELY feel the need to tell them "something", say you're getting a hernia repaired. That isn't going to come back and bite you down the road like saying your gallbladder and then later needing it out and not being able to use it as an excuse anymore!

To dream congrats on your weight loss!! I stared at close same as you. Had my surgery on march 19.. List 18 lbs so far but I'm stalled. Tell me how you lost so much! 130 is my goal weight!

Thank you bella! You're right where everyone stalls so take hope that it will pass! Biggest things I can pass on to new slivers are:

Try and stay off the scale if you can, it will only determine your moods.

MEASURE MEASURE MEASURE!!

The very first thing you ever eat should have Protein in it. At ALL times. Make sure its your make food source. I did not stay away from carbs or sugars on purpose, it just kind of happened because by the time I had my few bites of protein, I was full and didn't want the rest!

Good luck to you, a year from now, you'll be where I am today!

Thanks so much everyone! I have a decent amount of extra skin on the tummy area but I'm really pleased with how this last year has turned out! Hopefully I can tighten up the rest without plastics but if I feel that I can't do any more without surgery, then I plan to do that in another year

VJSlim & ChristineS NY - thank you! I FEEL amazing!!!

Thank you for this post. You look fantastic. Your before pictures are cute too, but your after photos are WOW.

I'm not a year out yet, but I have some of the same concerns about losing too much, etc.

I love seeing success stories!

Thank you!! You're welcome! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one worried about losing too much!!!

wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you look great!!!!!!!!!!! thank you for sharing!!!!! true inspiration!!! i got sleeved this past Thursday April 5!

Congratulations on your new sleeve! i'm excited for you to be at the beginning!!!

weight before sleeve? 223 lbs

weight After Sleeve ? 133 lbs

How many weeks is your sleeve? 11.5 months

did you start to gain weight already ? NOPE!

But over time, eating normally, knowing my calories are always in deficit --- has probably been the best thing for me and a virtual guarantee that I won't ever gain it back this time. I have *never* -- probably since I was a kid, been more balanced, steady and normal with food. No binging and starving. No severe deprivation followed by massive calorie overload. Just eating.

This is the absolute BEST way I can explain what the last year has been for me. The obsession of being on a diet... the guilt for going OFF the diet... the deprivation and hunger while ON the diet... its all literally disappeared.

Thank you for putting this in such clarity!

Mine has been sleevie the whole time... it works for me!!

From what I can tell you're pre-op so frankly, at that point, I was doing pretty much all the "bad" things I wasn't supposed to as well. But when I hit my pre-op diet, it was game-on. I think I had my first drink post op a couple months out. It was a (canadian) caesar (clamato and vodka) and I regretted it as I was very dehydrated and a MAJOR lightweight (1 drink)... pre op, I was used to drinking several drinks over an evening.

Now, at 1 yr post op, I have a glass or 2 of wine over a couple of hours and I'm feeling it. ALOT. More than that, I'm stumbly.

Make good choices post-op to make the best choices for your weight loss and be aware of the potential of transfer addictions and monitor your intake. Good luck!!!

Welcome fellow successes!

A year has gone by since we all each posted about our nerves going into surgery, our fears, our hopes, trials and tribulations post op... and now we're on the outside looking in... as success stories, as "seasoned sleevers"!

For me, I'm a couple weeks from my one year anniversary and sitting comfortably below goal! I hit goal (149 lbs) a few days before Christmas 2011 and since then I've blasted past it and now sit at 133 lbs! Occasionally I've had moments where I worried that I am losing too much, or worse that I won't be able to stop losing. I currently get in around 1000-1200 calories a day which I know is too low for me and I still struggle with this but try to get in the calories I need now to maintain my weight. My "DO SOMETHING" weight is 140 lbs. If somehow I find myself nearing/approaching/above that mark, that's when I will take control and do a pouch test (& potentially revert to mushies again) to ensure that I stay below that magic number.

For exercise, I've been working with a trainer for the last few weeks to bring back some strength to my body. I have not exercised until this point. I'm now looking and planning for possible/likely plastics in April 2013. I'm pretty unhappy with how my body looks post-op and would like a mommy makeover to have my body look in person like it does in my mind.

Here is my pre and post -op pics!

PRE OP Size 18-20 XL/XXL

AND TODAY!

Size 4-6 XS/S!!!

Tell me about your journey! How has the last year been for you?

No matter how much you've lost, you are a success story!!! Celebrate it in this thread!

I would say that I'm around 1000-1200 cal a day on average. It's hard for me to get in the calories I'm supposed to even at this point and as a result, I too have had the freak out where I think I've lost too much and can't stop. I haven't lost anything in nearly a month so I'm hoping thinking that I won't lose anything more. I have started exercising (weight training only with a trainer) as well so it could be that I'm finally regaining some muscle and that's why, even with exercise, I haven't lost any more this last month. I hope that's the case as I really would like to NOT get below 130!

Hey,

Did anybody ever respond to the customs question? I'm flying to San Diego on the 26th and just wondering what to tell customs too.

I put pleasure. When they asked I said surgery. They didn't ask or care which surgery.

Just wanted to say hello as a fellow sleever and edmontonian.

Hi back! I'm happy to see some Edmontonians on here!

I too went to Dr Almanza and I have zero complaints about my surgeon.

In retrospect, what I would change is simply going to a doctor that used a hospital. I didn't want to stay at the house because my husband was with me and there was a high likelihood he would end up on a couch or the floor so we stayed at the hotel. The hotel was great... but... I was originally told that they would come to ME for meds. I found out I had to go back and forth to the clinic 2x/day for them instead. I found that terribly inconvenient and uncomfortable travelling back and forth so often. I also had to base my pain meds on their schedule, not when I needed the pain meds so often times it could be over 12 hours between shots.

Dr Sharma is very very knowledgeable. I have subscribed to his blog even as a self pay patient. If I had been heavier I might have qualified to have the surgery with Weight Wise but as my BMI was 37, the likelihood was very low they would have done it for me with no "real" co-morbidities.

If you haven't yet, get your doctor to refer you to the program. The modules are very interesting and helpful. I've attended 3 so far ... post-op!

Cheryl: Of course you are welcome Congrats on the retirement! I've never been to Canada, but I am super close to the Washington/Canada border lol, we wanted to try to visit there before we move.

Thanks for the welcome! If you visit, don't venture to Saskatchewan or Manitoba. B.o.r.i.n.g.

BC is by far one of the prettiest provinces and then Alberta (western side near the Rockies)

My name is Cheryl. I'm a Canuck.. is there room for us here!?

My hubby is a member of the Retired (yay!) Canadian Army. 20 years and 4 tours later they released him with a medical pension and a host of fun issues to deal with for the rest of our lives. His last post brought him to Edmonton, Alberta before he went to Afghanistan. We are contemplating a move to Vancouver next year.