mnbsleeve

...there was a young woman plagued by her obesity. It encased her physically and emotionally. She was a walking sarcophogas and hated every minute of her awake time. She had always had a love/hate relationship with her weight, though. She hated the judgement, the inability to move, the unhealthy habits she was passing on to her son, the depressions, anxieites, but at the same time, her weight protected her. She had been wounded and found that her weight gave her an excuse to avoid those who had hurt her. BUT, one day she knew she needed to change. She went and saw Dr. James Foote at Grand Health Partners in Grand Rapids, MI and he gave some options. She prayed and knew her loving Father did not want her to suffer another day...
She began her journey at over 310 (not sure how much more she stopped weighing herself). On December 23, 2008 she weighed in at 287 and teh weight kept coming off post surgery! By April of 2010 she was down to 163 and loving life!! She met a wonderful man (she no longer was afraid and hiding behind her weight) and they married August 2010. In OCtober of that year she became pregnant with her second son, born June 29, 2011. Her current, 3 year post-op, post baby, weight is 175 and she is working to get it back down to 163, hoping to hit her goal of 155 and keep it there by year's end!!
This story has a happy and healthy ending and I couldn't be more happy with all that has improved now that I am healthier and more mobile. I don't have to have my knee replaced, my hip arthritis is GREATLY improved and I am much more confident (although I still am shocked when I don't see the heavy me in the mirror, even today).
I can't say that my journey was easy mentally, as this was much more than I ever anticipated, but phsyically I would do it a hunred times more to get where I am today!!! Thank you, Jesus for the wonderful people at GHP who helped change my life here on Earth!!

Congratulations!!! It's a great feeling isn't it?!

I tried to hold off as much as I could too. I was able to use some things I had saved from when I was down in the past! That really helped. So I didn't have to really buy anything for the first 4 months or so. However, because my job demands I look put together, I do have to juggle clothes a bit. I try to "make do" with one good pair of pants and looser tops. Then I may replace a couple of tops so they're more fitted while my pants are looser... you get the idea. I did have to get a new jacket though. But I am just eeking out the last few weeks since I will not be able to wear it next season - it's huge :-) My weight loss has really slowed down now since I am closer to goal. But, I still want to hold off on buying too much or spending money until I know I am stable. It's a challenge! Albeit, a good one to have, not complaining!!! But indeed a big pain, especially if you're not really a shopper -- I'm not.

Tears of joy!!!! Because for the first time in about 10 years, my blood pressure was normal!!! And not the high side of normal, but textbook normal ( what my nurse said)!
To make my day even better, I have lost a total of 48pounds since day of surgery! That means I am a third of my way to goal!!
Now I have to seriously start thinking about getting active and joining a gym!
So, while I raise my Protein Shake to all my sleeve brothers and sisters, I say thanks for the advice and support you so freely dispense, and the motivation to keep on rocking my sleeve!!!!

mullet head, sounds like you have it figured out after all! Have a great weekend as well!!!

What kind of clothes get you through? Baggy ones:)
I started at size 20. I bought a few capris at size 16. Then a couple of skirts and shirts at 14. Then I spent about $100 at size 10 because I thought I would be there for a while but I was blessed with shorts and shirts at size 8 and 6 from a friend. Then settled at size 4 and have bought only what I can find on sale and still wear 6's that were given to me. I tried on clothes constantly but just didnt buy. I am a stay at home mom bu t I do have to be dressed up for church every Tuesday and Sunday. I just didnt sweat how I looked knowing that it was only temporary and then when I hit goal I would get to buy nice clothes a lot cheaper!
I tried shopping at good will and thrift stores but I dont live in a big city so the selection wasnt there. I definatly recommend this if you live in a city.

The funny thing is, stalls are a normal part of the course. In a way, you actually want a stall. It means your body is progressing. If my body were to continually lose without ever going into a stall, I would be worried.

Why doesn't my body know to go into starvation mode? This is a survival technique that my body isn't able to do? What if I REALLY NEED to go into survival mode for some reason? Can my body not effectively protect itself? Before anyone gets even close to goal, your body is going to have to go through X number of stalls. Rejoice when you reach one because that means you are progressing normally and you have (X-1) stalls left! (Sorry for the Algebra)
Can you help your body get out of a stall? Sure. Change up your calories ... maybe up your carbs ... increase exercise ... do weight lifting ...
Do this on day 1? No ... come on, let your body do what it is needing to do. There is no such thing as a 1 day stall, IMO. I would say after 4 days with NO movement, you may be in a stall. Lord only knows why the scale didn't move this morning.
To much sodium yesterday / Water retention
TOM
Getting sick?
Eating 4,000 calories (no, wait ... we can't do that anymore)

Seriously, though, if it doesn't move or go up, do you really think you gained fat? Did you really eat 3,500 more calories than you expended? We have to use our brains in this and ignore the heart.
The only way we can fail is to believe this isn't going to work for us and prove it by grabbing a tub of ice cream, a bag of chips, cheeseburgers ... you know the drill.

So lets talk the basics first. A general guidline is 1 pound is equivalent to 3,500 calories. Eat 3,500 more calories than you expend, you gain a pound. Eat 3,500 calories less than you expend, you lose a pound. Of course everyone is different.
Each of us has a certain number of calories we burn doing absolutely nothing but breathing. Walk around, you burn more calories. Run around, you burn even more, thereby the old rule of weight loss ... eat less, move more.
So, when you are in WW using points, you are trying to eat fewer calories than you burn and tracking them with points is just another perspective on the whole deal.
Post-surgery, I was able to only get about 400 calories in per day, thus I had a dramatic drop early on. A lot of people do not lose as rapidly early out but there are a lot of other factors going on: Water retention, TOM ...
About 3 weeks post, your body discovers what's going on and freaks out a bit. This is the start of the first stall. Your body is discovering it is no longer getting the 4,000 calorie nacho binge or the 5 Mountain Dew per day supplements and takes a step back. Your body, as is called by some, has gone into starvation mode. It is hoarding.
Now, we can't have a heart to heart with our body and explain it, so, instead, let's trick it. Throw it a proverbial bone, if you will. Up the calories, so it goes, "Ah, here is something" and knock itself out of hoarding and releasing the fat deposits.
We have to do that occassionally to kick the body out of complacency. Exercise is another way to force your body to give up the ship, too. It will get to the point where your body is demanding energy that can only be met by tapping the fat stores. You have to be getting your Protein in, though, because you want your body to be tapping fat stores, not muscle, which it will do.

Hi Sleeve Twin! I remember talking with you right before surgery about having the same surgery date... doesn't that seem like a lifetime ago? Thank you for the nice comments! So, a day in the life? Okey-dokey.
Well, I start each day by weighing myself. Today, I was thrilled because I have now lost a total of 100 lbs. from my highest weight. It is a landmark day. I've had many of those along the way. Little landmarks to strive towards and then a little celebration when they are reached. Helps to keep me motivated.
Food: I eat at least 5-6 times a day, but little amounts each time. I started doing this early on because of the restriction and needing to break up each meal into two parts. I consume between 800-1200 calories a day with Proteins being the big priority. I don't count calories but with all the diets I've been on in my life, I know how many calories things have so I can mentally keep a tally. I have not always been good about fluids so I'm forcing myself to carry my big jug around with me. That's helped. I had to go back to a very low carb diet this past week to finally get the last few pounds off. It's worked like a charm because I've dropped nearly 4 lbs. this week.
Exercise: I'm not a fan of exercise, especially at the gym, BUT I love to walk and hike so that's what I do. It took me a long time to get to the point where I had the energy (since my calories were so low at first). Now, I walk and hike at least 4 times a week. My walks are at a fast pace and average about 30 min. a day. My hikes are where I push myself. I have a 5 mile hike I do often. It has a good elevation gain and I try to go as fast as I can. It's really helped to tone things up and give me back the muscle I lost when I was too weak to exercise.
You've done an amazing job with your sleeve! I'm sure what I've shared is nothing new to you. Sending you a hug!

Woke up to all these wonderful congratulations! And my smile got even bigger when I found I was actually BELOW my final goal weight this morning! Sipping my coffee and tearing up (yes, tears and smiles at the same time). I LOVE YOU Sleeve Sisters and Brothers!

Oh Sara! I'm so happy for you!!! I'm thinking this could not have happened at a better time given your wedding date fast approaching!!! You are always so upbeat and warm and transmit such joy. You have been, and continue to be, an inspiration on this board (and you tube ) in more ways than one! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Enjoy all the good things life has to offer!!!!

I'll never forget the day I learned about VSG and came on this forum to research it. Now, nearly 8 months to the day from my surgery - I hit my final goal!!! 140 pounds!!! That's nearly 100 lbs. down from my highest weight of 238. It feels great to see that number on the scale, but even better to know that I will never, ever, be fat again!
The first thing I wanted to do when I saw that I hit goal was to get on here and tell all of you. Thank you, everyone, for giving me a place to share in my joy (and for being there when I wasn't as joyous).

I'm not entirely sure I'm successful, though I suppose that just in reaching goal I've made success of my sleeve!
In the beginning (the first maybe nine months for me) eating was a chore. So my day always started with me sitting on my laptop with my morning Protein coffee (two scoops of Protein powder mixed with one cup of coffee) and logging my meal plan for the day. Breakfast is hard for me because I just don't like to eat first thing in the morning, so most days I drink a shake for breakfast.
I had to plan before starting my day because it was HARD to get enough calories and Protein into my body.
So, I went back to myfitnesspal to peek at my diet.
Within six months of surgery I was drinking a shake for breakfast in addition to eating a scrambled egg (I'd slowly sip the shake before and after eating the egg). I'd usually eat two or three pieces of lunchmeat or some other soft protein for lunch. I would eat a few ounces of chicken for dinner. I was usually low on calories/protein by the end of the day so I'd have either sludge (a scoop of protein, 1 Tbs. Peanut Butter and a little water) or a shake before bed. At this point, my diet was mostly protein with very low carbs. This was because eating was WORK for me. I had no appetite, had developed lactose intolerance and had so much restriction I couldn't eat more than an egg in a sitting.
I was eating about 400-500 calories a day, 20-30 grams of carbs and 60 grams of protein per day. I had to eat around the clock to get this much food into my body.
Fast forward to about ten months out. I was eating more reasonably. I had my morning protein coffee (two scoops, one cup coffee). Later I'd eat an egg scrambled with cheese for lunch. For dinner I might eat half a pb & j sandwich on very soft bread and some carrot sticks. Carbs were really helping me feel better so I shifted my focus around 8-9 months on getting more in. Throughout the day I'd have two Snacks - usually one would be a few oz. of Jerky and one would be string cheese or a carb, like crackers.
I was eating about 700 calories a day, 50-60 grams of carbs (all I could hold at this point) and 80-90 grams of protein. It was still a chore to eat.
Around a year out I was really focusing on a more balanced diet. I learned early on that low carbing makes me irritable and tired. Somehow, during this phase I really started to drop my mental food and eating baggage.
I was still drinking one or two shakes a day. I was eating that same scrambled egg with cheese for breakfast most days. I would eat a half sandwich for lunch, maybe with some veggies or fruit if I had room. I would eat a dinner that included not just protein but carbs. So I'd eat some potatoes, some salad, some rice or whatever AND eat a little protein. I made up the difference on protein with shakes, because the carbs were necessary for me and I still had a lot of restriction.
I was eating 900-1,100 calories a day, 90+ grams of carbs, 90+ grams of protein per day at this point and still losing, albeit very slowly as I was down to my last 20 pounds to lose.
Now I'm 21 months out. I eat about 1,200-1,400 calories a day, 120+ grams of carbs and 90+ grams of protein.
I start my day with protein coffee most days because I still have trouble getting more than 1,000 calories in per day without it. For lunch I'll do half a sandwich and a cup of Soup, or half a sandwich and a salad. For dinner I'll eat about 3 oz. of dense protein, some salad, some starch. I usually have two Snacks a day - one protein based like cheese or Jerky and one carb - usually something I've baked!
This is long, but I hope it helps or is at least something like what you were asking for.
~Cheri

Merydia you are looking great! Congratulations also on your engagement!!! What an exciting time for you! Regarding the weightloss and how it shows or not, I found that early on, even after 35 or 40 pounds, most people could not quite "see it." They would comment I looked good but not necessarily abou the weight. For me, after those first 45 lbs or so, then it started to show, progressively more with each 10 pound loss! Now, I drop a couple of pounds and everyone comments "have you lost weight?!" It cracks me up every time! I think, you didn't notice 50 but you sure notice 2!!!
Anyway, have fun and enjoy all your success. I am sure there is more to come!!!!! :-)

Thank you! That was in front of Leed's Castle in Kent, England. I took a trip to London last week, it was amazing.

Awesome!!!!! Congratulations!!!! Here's to many more happy bubble baths!!!!!! Woo hoo!!!!

Hi-
I started the c to 5k program with some local WLS people.
today I finished the program with a 5k run.

anyone wondering how the heck can you do that, heck I don't know...
i didn't run 3 x week- but every sunday was hard at work on it...
It has been a great trip. I hope more people can try it and see how much fun it is...

Congratulations Sarah! You ARE sparkling!!!! :-) Enjoy the new you!!!

BlackBerryJuice! Your post made me hungry!

For me week two is when I suddendly started feeling great! My energy came back and I felt normal, other than the changes in eating of course. I did somehow pull my muscles with a sneeze when caused a side pain on my sutures for a couple of weeks off an on pretty intense. But nothing serious or of consequence. It's a pretty big surgery and even though there aren't much traces of it (i.e., little tiny scars) it's still a big deal. It takes some time to recover. But overall I am amazed at how quickly we all seem to get back on our feet. Hang in there! Sending lots of good thoughts your way for a super speedy recovery!!!!!

Congratulations Crystal! Now THAT'S an NSV!

You look GREAT!!! What a transformation! Congratulations!

Just went to my yearly physical, I was sweating bullets as I have been eating a lot more than I was back when I had my first labs done a year ago. I was afraid I would be back in the poor results camp after a stellar report last year.
Well . . . it's dang near PERFECT AGAIN! BP was 120/80 (in the doctors office, I have a lot of "white coat syndrome" issues) cholesterol was 133 - actually LOWER than last year, triglycerides was 64! Fasting blood sugar was 88. All the other blood tests were right in the good to excellent range.
Man, why didn't I get sleeved years ago! I cannot endorse this surgery enough, it has RADICALLY changed my life and health. I may fall over dead tomorrow but at least I'll do so as a fit and healthy person rather than a fat blob.

I loved eggs pre-surgery and they still make my tummy get funny. cheese I can handle fine. But looking at the other stuff, one thing pops out. Nitrates. These cause my wife issues, but she is not a sleever and as a whole, they are not good for you. I have heard of folks developing all kinds of different issues post-sugery.
Perhaps try a few days of non-processed foods. No BBQ Sauce, deli meats, sausages or hot dogs. You will not notice a difference after one meal. It will take a few before you will notice.

I had my sleeve on 03/01 in Tijuana MX. For the most part my sleeve tolerates everything except sweets and high fat content food (Perfect!). My pre-op start weight was 228, My surgery weight was 209, and my current weight is 181. I am starting Zumba this weekend and I am so happy that I got my sleeve. My first NSV is that I am now wearing all my fat but not as fat girl clothes that I haven't been able to wear in 3 years. The second (and most awesome) NSV is that my husband and I can both fit in our shower... together... at the same time.... you know.... to scrub each others backs and stuff...lol