bilka

I am having the same problem. Luke warm baby food is fine, liquids are fine, semi-solid food is a disaster. So I just eat less than half a portion of what I should in order to get my stomach used to food. I should eat 125 grams salmon (mashed with a fork), so I prepare it, I mash it, mix it with light mayo and eat a third of it. Then I don't allow myself to go throw up. I stay at the table and wait until the annoying feeling is gone. In the evening I do eat baby food, otherwise I won't get many calories in, but I do at least one semi-solid meal per day. My hubby (doctor) is the one who gave me the idea: just have a even smaller portion than what you should and DO NOT GO vomit. Just don't.

When I was in Athens right after the sleeve I bought a very small sized skirt. A medium (European medium). That's my final goal: I have to fit in it. It's one size bigger than my sister-in-law (who is VERY skinny, almost anorexic size, even if she does eat regularly), she tried it on. So far it's up to my knees, but I have all the time I want to reach the size. Right now it hangs in my closet, maybe in Summer 2012 I'll be able to wear it! It's just over a year away! This is the skirt (with a cat and a dog): http://www.heelshop.gr/index.php/collection/bottoms/24-1403.html

I was supposed to leave after the second night as well. I stayed an extra night because I hadn't eaten nor drunk anything and I had had problems with the drain...

My sister and my hubby were not supportive at all My mum was ok, but terribly scared. I went to Greece without them, I took some friends with me. My sister is much older and overjudgemental. I was SCARED to tell her. When I did she annoyed me telling me I should start dieting again, exercising etc. She always struggled with her weight but she always got it under control. She skips meals, she practices sport and she never eats carbs. I am not like her! I really needed the sleeve. So... I went and got it. Whatever. It is my life and it is my health. They can keep judging me if they like, but the sleeve is working and since I got it I don't really care anymore. i don't care if they think I took the easy way, I do not care. I am happy I did it. That's all what matters, I went through the same thing and I can tell you: if you think it's the right choice stop caring about them.

Hello, I was sleeved before you, I have "only" lost 22 lbs, but seriously, do you really want to lose all your weight altogether? The slower the better, your skin has time to adjust and you won't have it hanging around so much... Do you weigh yourself ever single day? I used to do the same, then my hubby decided to hide the scale and take it out only on the weekend. Flucutations are normal, it can be the fact that you are (probably) not going much to the bathroom, or who knows whatever! Your body is adjusting to all the news (as is mine) so don't worry too much! And 25 lbs are already a lot. Give yourself time!

So far head hunger. When I fight with my sister I get so annoyed I feel hungry, then I realize how stupid I am, drink a tea and I am fine.

Good luck! See you on the losers' bench!

I am not a great sweets-eater, anyway every morning for breakfast I have a small pudding (it's on the diet anyway and I make it with sweetener and skimmed milk), I think it is a good idea, so I won't definitily crave sweets all day... Those jell-o pudding are delicious (we don't have them here but I tried them before)

I can't wait to have the same problem with all my clothes! The only thing I have started putting away are bras, which became too big straight away :cry_smile:

Hello! I started with 34.4. I am 3 weeks out tomorrow and I have lost 22 lbs so far, I have to lose 86 altogether for health reasons. I am not practicing any sport yet, just following the nutritionist's advice on what to eat. I feel great and I don't feel hungry, I get full straight away. I had no complications and no real problems.

Congratulations! And I mean for everything: living through all the moving from place to place, having three kids,.. having the surgery and getting closer to your goal day by day! It is a great birthday gift! You are an inspiration for all of us!

It's good to recognize our own mistakes! But what I think is... All my skinny friends have times where they gain 1-2 kgs just like that. Stress, job, whatever. Then they lose them again, just like that. You've worked so hard until now (I see it from your ticker!) and I don't think you should beat yourself up. It happens to "normal" (as for body figure) people, it can happen to us too. My hubby gains and loses 1-2 kgs all the time. Even 3 or 4 sometimes. It just depends on his mood and his job, not really on his physical activity or his food. And now you are to start again, so... Good! Maybe you just needed a break...

Well, I have to say I don't find it strange. I guess it's just a different way of seeing things... I couldn't get my 6000 euros all together, so I asked him to lend me the money and I'll pay him back when I can (no added interests ). He does pay for everything: rent, holidays, clothes,.. Even the holidays I take alone with his sister or the weekends I go visit my friendsaway from my city. He didn't agree at all with this surgery, so this was a thing I had to do on my own. This week I should get paid from the university I worked for last semester, so I will be able to give him back like 2000 euros. Step by step. And! just an update, sex isn't an issue anymore, now he's decided he's not interested in it anymore... A payback? Since I got back home from surgery I have tried my best to be nice, sweet, understanding, I did my best, but it felt like I was dealing with an iceberg. I guess he must have felt the same way before I had surgery (I was bitchy, I know that). Let's hope one day he'll think we are even and we can start having a normal life together again!

I told myself I would wait for like 3 months after surgery... Good job! I drank half glass of wine yesterday (I am 19 days out) at a dinner party. I enjoyed it SO much. I am not going to drink any soon again, but it is the only thing I really miss. I think that a small glass of white wine sometimes on the weekend is not going to kill me or my weight loss. I was the same weight this morning as I was yesterday. It felt so good...:tape:

This is my experience with tubes: all what I can remember is that right after surgery they woke me up and said: "Open your mouth", I did and they took out a tube from my throat. I didn't feel a thing and fell asleep again... No other tubes were in my throat after that...

I just ate baby food (chicken). I admit I really like meat baby food, so it was great and I managed to eat the whole jar (80 grams). I did warm it before though. No idea what this cooking technique is called in English, anyway I put some water in a pan, then the jar of baby food in the water without the lid and heat the water. It becomes soft and luke warm, I put some of the mashed potato in it and I can eat it all. Amazing. I love it.

I went under surgery with a BMI of 34.4 (or 34.7, it depends n the doctor, whatever). I have diabetes 1 and that was my biggest concern, I was afraid that eating so much and getting day by day more insulin resistant I would just have seriously bad consequences pretty soon. I am 30 y.o. So I really don't think I you're crazy, there must be a reason if one day you decided it was the right thing to do. Go back to that day. You do want to kill your diabetes (type 2, I guess?) and high cholesterol, right? Right now, just over 2 weeks after op, I am not using my insulin pump and I am only getting one shot of insulin in the evening. It's amazing. I do plan to go back to my pump one day, when I start to eat more. It's a relief. My blood sugar level is always great. I feel so good. I have to reach my ideal weight - 128/127 lbs - for health reasons (the less fat you have on your body, the less insulin resistant you are) and I could never ever do it without the sleeve. It has already helped me so much! Seeing that my bmi wasn't that high the surgeon told me I didn't have to follow any diet before the surgery. I stopped eating at 7 pm and drinking at midnight the night before surgery. I had surgery at 9 the next morning. I had a great last Greek lunch wth just one glass of wine the day before (they did tell me not to drink a lot of alcohol for the day)! Now this is MY personal experience, I hope it can help you somehow...

Hello! Welcome! Now if you want to read people's experiences after the sleeve just go on reading topics on this website, you'll see everyone's different or similar experience with the sleeve. There are many people who can help you answer your questions and your doubts. Just look around!

16 days out, I just started pureed food. I say: wait until you get there. With liquids I had the same thoughts: why can I drink so much etc. I even thought: "Maybe they didn't cut anything off! I was asleep, who knows?". Warm broth was going down so fine, so did nice and warm cream soup or herbal tea. Then it was time for pureed food, so I took my tuna, my tiny little boiled potato, some skimmed milk and made something that resambled baby food: that's when I realized I had the sleeve: it doesn't go down. I can't have more than 4 teaspoons. I just feel SO full. (I found baby food delicious, so it wasn't a question of quality of food). In the afternoon I have to have my protein shake so that I don't pass out.They go down well, I love my protein shakes. But the food... That's where I am stuck!

Hello Mindy, welcome! I am happy you decided to share your story with us. I too can see myself in so many parts of it (despite all the differences: place, job,..)! I only have terrible memories of my high school time... I bet you can't wait for the 8th March to be behind you?! It will be soon! Try to relax before that date, if you can, you are going to be on the losers' bench so soon!

Hello there and welcome! It's going to be a great journey, on this site you'll have many people accompanying you during it, answering your questions and helping you going through difficult moments. You are going to feel great once you get your surgery (and the liquid diet is over!)!

Hello! I had surgery exactly 2 weeks ago. Last weekend I got the stitches out and since that moment everything is great. Yesterday the busses were striking (we always strike in Italy) so I walked home and I was fine. No pain no more feeling too tired to walk. In just 2 weeks. I am 30 too, but I have no kids and no full time job. Anyway, I was able to go back to my silly job already 8 days after surgery. I can go shopping alone (last weekend I told my hubby I still needed his help, but that wasn't exactly true, I just wanted to spend some extra time with him), I did play the whole afternoon with my 5 year old niece last Saturday. My mother has told her friends that I am on a serious diet, so that if they see me smaller they'll know "why". My friends know that I had hiatal hernia removed and can't eat much nor drink alcohol for 3 months (they were like "Not even wine??? Is wine alcohol, really?". Very Italian). I am going to be a bridesmaid too in a month and I told the bride the same: I had the hernia removed and can't eat nor drink much, so she won't annoy me if I don't get drunk or if I don't eat like a pig. I will dance though! You'll definitely be one size less in two months. As DonnaG says, try the dress one a week before the wedding and see if there are any small arrangements you can do with a couple of stitches (they all look at the bride at wedding, so I wouldn't worry too much...) And! I have said goodbye to my boobs. They are already shrinking, while everything else still looks the same. Thank goodness there are Wonder Bras etc, so, again, I wouldn't be too worried! Now this is my experience...

:thumbs_up: Good to still hear great things from someone who the sleeve done almost 2 years ago! Great and inspirational!

My hubby told everyone I went to Greece to get a surgery done. He didn't really say what, but nw everyone sees that I am not eating solid food and that I have lost a lot of weight. Amazing, isn't it?! I had begged him not to tell anyone anything! I mean, he could have just said I was on a holiday with his sister without adding extra details, right? I WAS on holiday in Greece with his sister for the first few days, then I got surgery... I was SO mad at him. And! he told me all this the evening before surgery, so I spent half of the night before surgery crying and shouting at the him at the phone! Some men are just unbelievable. Good thing is you'll be too buy with yourself from Wednesday on and will just forget about it. And really, when you start losing weight you won't care too much. As you can see you are not alone in this! And we survived it. People's attention gets easily distracted, so don't worry, people won't concentrate on you too long!

As I see everyone is different, and I guess if you really fell ready you can try mushies, if it doesn't work you go back to liquids for the week... My doctor told me to introduce a piece at the time when I introduce new food, just to test if it's ok. Right now I am 11 days out and still on liquids until the end end of week 2. Then I have 4 weeks of mushies in front of me and after that other 3/4 weeks of soft/pureed food. I intend to stick to it. I do miss chewing, I can still "drink" for 3 days but 3 weeks would have probably been too long. I kind of feel ready for mushies now too.