mnbsleeve

Well... I am in your position... except I'm already sleeved! I am 21 now but I was sleeved last year (6 months ago exactly today actually!). For me, this was the absolute best decision that I could have made. I had the time, the family support, the financing and the knowledge to do this 100%. I had been thinking about surgery for years. Literally years!
For myself I have always been very mature for my age. Ever since I was little I've had to deal with things (mainly medical issues between my grandfather and my mother) that forced me to grow up quickly, so I knew I could handle the surgery mentally, emotionally as well as physically.
Some of the questions I asked myself were
- am I ready to have a surgery
- am I willing to permanently alter a part of my body
- am I willing to not be like everyone else my age who can eat/drink without serious consequences
- have I stuck to rules/etc in the past
- am I mentally ready?
- am I emotionally ready?
- am I mature enough for this?
- am I able to be patient enough to wait for the insurance loops and the surgeon's protocol?
- can I stick to the surgeon's pre and post op diet
- am I willing to try one more diet
- can I wait until i'm older
- what are my health issues (i had a diabetes scare)
- can i afford this
I also spent hours and hours and hours pouring over information sites and the pros and cons of all the available surgeries.
In the end my decision was easy. Everything worked out for me to have this surgery. I had the time and my mom fully supported my decision. I was also covered under my insurance because of my BMI (which I believe you should be as well), but I also had pre-diabetes.
I honestly did not want to wait until I was in my 30's or my 40's. I want to be healthy enough to have a family in the future and to stop missing out on things because of my weight. Mostly I wanted to be healthy. I knew that in time it would be completely safe to support a pregnancy. I knew that in time I would be able to eat out again and drink (I am definitely a cheap date now lol... one drink is like three drinks for me).
At six months out I am soooo glad I did this.
At this point I think you just need to sit down and seriously talk it out. With yourself, with your mom, with your primary care doctor, with whoever. Make sure that you are truly ready for this. That doesn't mean not being scared or anxious, because those are normal, but make sure that you are capable of making such a life altering decision.
I should also mention that I am 5'2" and I started out at 265, so our BMI's are/were pretty much exactly the same.
Also, check out the 20's page. We don't chat on their very often but there are a lot of others out there too.
Ack, two more things lol. 1st- go to an information session. They are free and you don't have to commit to anything but they are a great chance to talk to a surgeon or someone from their office... just feel them out. One of the most important things is finding a surgeon (and their team!!!) that you are comfortable with. Second, find some support groups and sit in on a meeting or two. There may be other people in their 20's or they may be older, but they could give you some face to face advice that may help you make your decision.
Good luck!! Please feel free to pm me if you have any extra questions or want to chat

I'm19mths out and I still weigh my food (desperately trying to get to my first weight goal) and I eat between 6-8oz of food in a meal depending on consistency. This is VERY similar to the weight I was eating at approx 8mths out... so I feel this is my limit now! I am more than happy with this as it is enough to enjoy the taste of food and to keep my cals low(ish) they range between 900-1200 daily. This amount also keeps me satisfied for a long period of time and therefore allows me to stay with my 3 meal a day post op plan... yes I am still sticking to this for 90% of the time!
Not sure if this helps... hope so! =]

I am 18 months out and the other day for Breakfast I had; half a slice of buttered toast, half of one over-medium egg, and half a slice of bacon. I was STUFFED, and that's a year and a half out! lunch was most of a child's size grilled cheese sandwich - STUFFED! Then for dinner I had a 2 inch by 3 inch slice of vegetarian lasagna and a tablespoon of polenta and was STUFFED. See the trend? =)
However, it must be said that the day before my cycle I seem to have expanded capacity and have been able to down almost half a cheeseburger in one sitting and finish the burger a few hours later.

I was so exhausted last week from work, that I thought I was going to be totally out of commission last weekend, but after a relaxing evening at home on Friday and a goodnight sleep, I was SOOO unbelievably energetic this weekend!! Its been such a long time since I've had this much energy. The past couple weekends have been like this too.
On Saturday I did a ton of stuff around the house and at around 3pm I decided to redo our foyer floor, kind of on a whim, because we kept talking about doing it. By 4 I had the carpet ripped up and the slate tile underneath it ripped out, then went to lowes, picked out new tile and the guy there taught us how to do it, went home and got half of it installed by the time I went to bed. Then just out of sheer excitement, got up at 7:30 on Sunday and went right to work and had it finished by 9am.
Then we completely cleaned the house and then, because of the great weather, detailed the cars. After that was done, we got cleaned up and went to a comedy show in town (where I ended up drinking wayyyy to much wine.) But still was able to get up, come to work and be productive. Gotta love the new energy!!! I was SUCH a slug before. My husband is sooooo happy with how much more energy I have...I'm actually pushing him to do more rather than the other way around. He kept asking me this weekend "How do you still have energy??" cause he was beat!!
CRAZY I TELL YOU!!! CRAZY!!
Anyone else notice a surge in energy levels??

Wanted to wish you both the best of luck with the upcomming surgery! For me this has been an incredible journey!!! It's an adjustment, but well worth it! Keep us posted!

omg - I thought the same thing! I'm thinking geez why don't you change your medical person if they are such a NUT! Figured that one out on my own though!! lol.

NUT = nutrionist!
As a newby on this board I read a long post where this person kept referring to the NUT and "her NUT" and based on the way the content read I thought, "wow, she sure is angry at her surgeon calling him/her a nut at every turn" Much later, when I saw other posts, I figured out it was nutritionist and I can't tell you the laugh I had!!!! Still makes me chuckle!

. I'm two weeks off from my surgiversary and this morning I weighed 189.9.
Broke 190 and that means I have lost an official hundred pounds since my surgery. It took a full year. I keep waiting for the stall that tells me I have to increase my exercise or cut calories, but it hasn't come yet. It's just gone very slowly since the fast fifty or so I lost last march. Back when I weighed 222 in November I thought it was over. Back when I weighed 209 in January, I thought it was over. When I weighed 222, I thought okay,, that's it, that's fine. Back when I weighed 209 I thought wait, what?
I want to break 160 and at 5'10" I'll be at GOAL, I think. And the best part is there won't be any fear in it. I'll know it's going to stay off, doing what I normally do, exercising at a level I can reasonably handle.
Thirty pounds to go. Can't imagine what it's going to be like to be thin again. But I'm not going to worry about it. I'm going to have a good summer

WOO HOO!!!! Congratulations!!!!!! It's a great milestone! When I reached onederland I had not been there for years. It felt sooooo good!!!!

I still salads, but I load them w/ chicken, turkey, eggs, cheese and mushrooms... I can eat about a 3/4 cup of greens and a few oz of each topping... I found that depending on the dressing, I can eat more..
My go to is Protein shakes.. I'm so finicky, that i haven't settled on a few foods yet... besides cheetos.. and that's not a healthy choice!! LOL... pray for me and my cheeto addiction!!

Like MNB said, I've started going towards healthier, lighter foods but because I don't wanted feel awful and nauseous. I can't tolerate fried food at all anymore and sugar....in very very small quantities. Like MNB said, I'll have up to three very small bites of a dessert and then I'm done, otherwise I know I'll feel awful. And those are the fruity Desserts. I don't even try the over the top decadent ones because I know that one bite and I'm done.
My go-to for a little sweetness is kettlecorn. They have a couple different kinds in the grocery store. Two small handfuls satisfy me, don't overfill my sleeve and don't make me feel bad at all. But after that, I'm satisfied and don't need to eat the whole bag, which is great!

I loved those salads too, with all the delicious veggies, so now when i want a salad ill save it for dinner. Then ill have a 30 Protein shake or shot for Breakfast, then another for lunch, then pig out on my salad for dinner without worrying i didnt get enough Protein.< /p>

I used to not be very fond of Soups, (Admittedly because they took up too much room for the other not-so-good stuff I wanted to eat) and now I love a good soup!

Then you stop losing weight. You can't lose weight forever; eventually weight loss becomes unhealthy.
However, given your current weight, I'd wager it's going to be a while for you before you get there yet. There will be stalls and plateaus, sure. But if you keep coming back to that core of discipline, you'll get there.
And the "diet" shouldn't have to be a diet; it's just the way we're all supposed to eat all the time. It's not about denying yourself or berating yourself, it's about sane, sensible eating. Check your portion sizes, eat your Protein first, then your complex carbs (leafy, green vegetables, etc.), then your simple carbs (potatoes, rice), and THEN, if you have room, you can have dessert -- but a SMALL portion. If you're like me, you wanted to skip the meal and go right to dessert! Plus, drink your Water -- make sure you're getting around 60-80 ounces per day in one form or another (a bonus is that you won't feel so hungry). And finally, you have to move -- I understand how limited your mobility is, but the point is to keep pushing yourself, move as much as you can, as safely as you can. If you still feel like you're too heavy to walk, see if you can find something like an aqua aerobics class (great exercise, and very low impact -- good for the joints). Try a yoga class -- pretty good for the joints and good sweating! We all have our own unique problems and limitations, but what you CAN'T do is give up and decide that you're doomed, because that will become self-fulfilling. I assure you that no matter what your age or weight or physical condition, there are people who were older, fatter, and sicker than you who have lost weight and led healthy, happy lives; the key is making the decision to do whatever is necessary to get there.
Sorry if I sound like an infomercial, but sometimes I think that's what we all need

So true!! And how funny that I just saw this on Facebook then came here and your post is the first I see! haha

"Somehow I'd lost two pounds in 30 seconds"
I want that scale!!!!
(LOVE your post!!!)

I ride a bike for exercise and I have to tell you this IS a problem! I have purchased new biking pants several times to help and use a special lotion or lubricant called Chamois Butt'r designed just for this! In the other department.... I don't know. I think the bike riding may be "training" and "strengthening" all of me! :wub:

WOW!!! You look incredible!!! I LOVE the pics especiallyl the last one with your eyes closed, face toward the sky! Looks like a shot in a magazine LOL You look fantastic!!! Congratulations!!!!!

Okay, mine is weird... I call my sleeve "my calamari" because it feels like a small, slick tube with not much flexibility LOL When I use to make stuffed calamari you could get just the right amount of stuffing in the little "tube" and you're done! It just would not budge. Tha'ts how "my calamari" feels! :-)

Okay, mine is weird... I call my sleeve "my calamari" because it feels like a small, slick tube with not much flexibility LOL When I use to make stuffed calamari you could get just the right amount of stuffing in the little "tube" and you're done! It just would not budge. Tha'ts how "my calamari" feels! :-)

Thanks for all your kind words everyone. For those of you who said you'd love to do something like this...... As Nike would say..... Just do it!!! Sign up for it on that whim of, " I would love to do this". Yes, it was so scary once I paid for my place and I wondered what the heck I was doing, but I decided to believe in myself. Do you know how long it's been since I believed in myself??? I feels so damn good!!!! Try it yourself!! If you decide running is your thing, shoot me any questions you have. I'm no expert, but I'm a great shoulder to lean on : )

I'm almost 2 weeks late (just under) in posting my 1 year anniversary details, mainly because I was having way to much fun in Disneyland with my family!! (plus I wanted to add pics from Disney as some of my after shots )
to recap my journey
- start weight was 229 - although I had been up to 240ish
- weight on surgery day was 208
- starting size 24-26 (probably should have had a larger size though)
- had my surgery with Dr. Rodriquez in Mexico
Immediately after surgery, I felt very sick to my stomach and threw up multiple times. I was given anti-nausea meds for a couple days to combat that. I remember not wanting to get up and walk. I felt like crap!!! why would I want to walk? okay, all you newbies.... listen up!! LOL !! YES it helps to walk!!!! I felt 1000x s better after walking around. every time you get up to use the bathroom? walk the halls before laying back down. need to change the channel on the tv? get up and do some more walking, then change the channel. It truly does help!!!!!
I started losing my hair around 3 months. yes, it sucks (I'm not going to lie to you), but it grows back!! i have so much new growth right now though, that I look a little bit like a frizzy haired chia pet!! LOL
I went back to the gym around 6 weeks. I started just walking, but as time went on and I started getting more energy as I dropped the weight, i then started running. About the 5 month mark, the running bug bit me. I decided to try something that has been on my bucket list since I was a teenager. I was going to run a half marathon!!!! I even found a half marathon that was scheduled for the day after my 1 year anniversary of my surgery!!!! And it was in Disneyworld!!! I am a true Disney nut, so all these things coming together felt like it was meant to be and I had to do it!!! So I signed up and started my training. My job requires me to work at strange and varied hours. Couple that with my 2 part time jobs, my 2 kids, and my hubby = not a lot of time to myself. I make sure to get a run in (even if it's only 3o min). My lack of time also made it so I could not do running clinics in my area, so I just read as much as I could and trained by myself.
To date I have lost 100lbs!! although I vary about 5-10 lbs depending on the time of month or training for runs. I still worry averyday that I'll gain it back. But I figure that it's that 'worry' is what keeps me in check with myself. I see pics of the old me and wonder who that girl is and why see was so unhappy all the time. The number of people that say I 'LOOK' happier not to mention healthier is crazy!!! I hit 129lbs a few months ago, and I was still a size 12 at that point!! I have finished losing weight (i think), but my size continues to go down (yay!!) I'm right around a size 8 right now. although I do have a pair of Lululemon pants in a size 6 that fit great!! and size small shirt. The only bad thing I hate is my extra skin. In clothes, I'm happy. but I HATE swimsuits!!! my thighs and tummy are terrible!!! they continue to tighten some and I hope it continues, but it'll just have to be something I deal with.
food wise, I still look at Protein first (unless it's the couple weeks before a race), but I can't low carb anymore. During my losing phase, I low carbed it and lost weight fast. Now that I'm a runner (i love the sound of that), I need the carbs for fuel. I have FINALLY gotten to the point where I now longer even care to have a coke. I used to be a major pop drinker. It's taken me a year to get over that addiction!!! I have bad days, where I eat crap and pay for it, but as long as they are not constant, I learn from them and I'm happy. As I see it, how can I learn if I don't have mistakes to fix??
On to race day..... I was a bucket if nerves!! But I was so excited!! I felt really good through the run. My main goal was just to finish. My 5 year old daughter told me something that I think we should ALL remember. I was telling her about the race before I left and showed her a pic of what the medal would look like. She asked me if I was going to win the race the get the medal. I said no, that I just was going to finish the race to get it. she said, "so the winning person and the last person get the same medal?" I said yes. She said, "so it doesn't matter what place you come in mommy, as long as you finish the race, I'll be proud of you!!!" This will stick with me for the rest of my days!!!! When I finished the race, I was so emotional. I was exhausted, and tired from lack of sleep (had to be there at 3am and couldn't sleep the night before), and I couldn't believe that I had proven to myself that I could do something like that. Needless to say, I bawled like a baby!!! I traveled by myself to Florida from Vancouver Canada for the race, but the amount of hugs and pats on the back I got from total strangers was so nice!!! I ended up finishing in 3:09:56. I had hoped to finish under 3 hours, but a 15minute lineup at the bathrooms kind of killed that for me. BTW: the pic of me at mile marker 10 is priceless to me. At this point I had NEVER run more than 10 miles before!!! Anything after that was icing on the cake for me
Now that I'm home, I've already signed up for 4 more half marathons and a 10k this year!!!! One of which is in Disneyland in September. I can't wait!!! I feel like I have found a new me........ A me that is not only a mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend, coworker, etc...... But a me that has found balance and happiness.
attached are some before and afters- enjoy!!!

Thanks for the encouragement to post a new youtube video. It was the push I needed to finally do an update today. I've posted it!

Wow, guys! Thanks so much for the support. I do feel better. Love the way y'all explained this. My husband said, "Don't worry about this stall. You have no choice but to lose weight!" He was right & so are y'all. Than.ls again for the encouragment. I'm so glad I have this forum to check in with.

Love your post!!! Talk about a glass half full!!! You go girl!!! Enjoy your success!!!!