SKCUNNINGHAM

I picked up an issue of Oprah’s magazine in my doctor’s office, and saw the article on the inside back page, titled “This I know for Sure”. The title captured my attention more than the content – because it rang true for me. In life there are things we know and believe to our very core – items which we are sure of in every Fiber of our being.
Here are some of my items that I know for sure . . .

VSG was the right decision for me to make positive change in my life I will never go back to the way I was pre-VSG. This is a forever commitment I have made. I will not hold perfection up as a goal for myself – I will strive for making sane, healthy choices. Nothing that I have lost, left behind or can no longer indulge in is important to me in the grand scheme of things. There is nothing in my cabinets or fridge I need to fill my life with. I will fill my life with LIFE.

I picked up an issue of Oprah’s magazine in my doctor’s office, and saw the article on the inside back page, titled “This I know for Sure”. The title captured my attention more than the content – because it rang true for me. In life there are things we know and believe to our very core – items which we are sure of in every Fiber of our being.
Here are some of my items that I know for sure . . .

VSG was the right decision for me to make positive change in my life I will never go back to the way I was pre-VSG. This is a forever commitment I have made. I will not hold perfection up as a goal for myself – I will strive for making sane, healthy choices. Nothing that I have lost, left behind or can no longer indulge in is important to me in the grand scheme of things. There is nothing in my cabinets or fridge I need to fill my life with. I will fill my life with LIFE.

I bought underwear that fit as soon as I shrunk out of the previous size - I hate the feel of loose underwear. I also invested in belts (something I had avoided) to keep my pants up. I realized I needed a belt when I was wearing a lose pair of jeans, reached up into the cabinet to get a glass from the second shelf, and my jeans fell down around my ankles. Thankfully, I wasn't entertaining guests. I wanted to look OK at work, so I wouldn't let what I was wearing be too loose and baggy. I shrunk back into clothes I had kept and bought some. I looked at thrift stores and resale shops, and also shopped outlet sales. I've also swapped some clothes with my sisters. I had a few garments tailored, to have them last a longer in how they fit. When I bought garments, I bought things with an eye to how they would look on me as I continued to shrink.
Good luck - this is the fun part!

Believing that you are worthy of a hot guy regardless of your pant size is the best starting point. I can't say that I understand (I hate saying I understand when I've never experienced it) because I always dated really attractive men. I just didn't date ugly men. It wasn't something I was willing to do.. Now, I will say that I'm pretty demanding in the relationship department so along with good looks, they must be gainfully employed, have no more than 2 children from a previous relationship, and must have their own residence, vehicle and checking account. I don't consider that too high of standards, but others do. I think my husband is pretty hot, others told me when I was fat "I'm not sure how you managed to land such a hot piece of ass, and why he is interested in you considering you're 6 years older with a child???" YES, friends would actually say that to me. My reply was pretty crass and very untrue but I just said "well he thinks I give good h*@d" That shut them up pretty quickly.
So, my biggest advice is to really learn, or start believing that you DESERVE nothing less than EVERYTHING you want in a partner. Be it, great looks, financially stable, well-rounded, comical, laid back, high strung, whatever it is, you deserve it all. Don't get me wrong, my husband is far from perfect, he has a couple of character traits that irk me to no end, but at the end of the day, he is the perfect match for me. Well, except for the fact he's a very Conservative Democrat (if that's even possible) and a Southern Republican. Far too often, I see ALL women settling, and it just irks me to no end. So, start believing that you are worthy of more than society tells you that you deserve.
I had a friend email me this to me years ago when I was struggling with a douchebag of a boyfriend, and we had hit a place in our relationship where I was no longer willing to tolerate some of his issues. I go back and read it occasionally just as a reminder: Sorry for all the page break arrow thingies, it's just how it's formatted and I'm too lazy to fix it! ! !

Ditto to Diva...I always took the time to dress nice, accessorize, and use makeup (not a ton) but my style has always been classic casual, and I really don't see that changing much. It's annoying b/c I find myself drawn to the same type of classic clothing and essentially re-buying what I normally wear ...BUT in a smaller size (that part isn't annoying at ALL!) I will tell you at first shopping in the ladies dept. vs WOMANS WORLD or PLUS SIZE is a whole different animal b/c there are SO many choices...it's almost overwhelming after being relagated to a boxing ring size of the store. But now that I've been in regular size for the last 6 months or so, I finally don't feel like an "imposter" when I wander in there (I felt VERY out of place when I first started shopping in regular land...)
Another big bonus is that I can essentially shop at Goodwill or other type thrift store and the selection is great in the size that I'm at...no more do I just have to look for the biggest size and be happy with what I can scrape up. I can enjoy shopping and I'm so happy at what I see in the mirror!!

Sleeved 8/29/11. I'm 2 weeks out now and wanted to jot down some things for others who are headed this way. Most of this may be repetative, but I guess its always good to hear it different ways.
1. Surgery was just that - major surgery. Don't kid yourself and think it's anything less. There is incisional pain from the lap sites, but it's not terrible. You will have your good friend Morphine by your side. There are the inconveniences of a JP drain - which dangles from a hole in your gut, but doesn't really hurt. There is a darn foley catheter "you know where." These tubes being there doesn't hurt, it just hinders you wanting to be more mobile and get back to normal. It's the removal of these tubes that you probably want to save up a few hits of morphine for. Don't fret - it doesn't hurt terribly - its just darn unnatural to have these tubes yanked out. Painwise - after you are home you are sore. I was off pain meds (because I used it all ) on Day 6. Didn't need it after that, or liquid tylenol did just fine. (Oh, the nighttime liquid tylenol is good if you can just nap!)
2. Weight Loss - you will GAIN weight in the hospital because they are pumping you full of liquid via IV the entire time. However, once you go home you will lose all that quickly. My admittance weight was 307. My go home weight was 313. My current weight (15 days later) is 280. You need to recognize how much of your weight is Water. Don't focus on weight loss at all during the first 2 weeks. Focus on HYDRATION. I would even say don't focus on Protein and all that crap. You can die from dehydration in a matter of days. It will take more than a month to kill yourself off by not eating. So, order of the day: DRINK. Gatorade G2, Water, Crystal Light, whatever makes you happy.
3. Eating - Sucks. This is probably the biggest challenge of this whole ordeal. In the hospital, you will be eating water. Then they give you some nasty protein to mix with the water. You will not be hungry. You must drink this protein mix with water to ensure you are capable of doing so at home. Luckily, the last thing you "eat" in the hospital is liquid pain medicine to make sure you can handle that when you get home too. Once you get home, you get to do your clear Liquid Protein thing... flavors of your choice. But remember, you will not be hungry. This is more an exercise of trying than succeeding to get your 60g of protein. Remember - this time is all about drinking fluids to hydrate. To be honest, I failed miserably at this stage and didn't get enough fluids and found myself in an infusion center at 1.5 weeks getting a few bags from a needle. Nobody said anything about my lack of protein even when I made a point of not getting nearly enough. NOW IS WHEN THE "HEAD HUNGER" SETS IN.... I didn't know what head hunger meant before. Now I know. It's watching all those damn commercials on TV for every food in the world and wanting it... in quantity. I now hate Papa John and Burger King's marketing department. I wanted to TASTE FOOD. Real food dammit. Not this liquid crap, not applesauce or yogurt or other "stretch options" outside the bounds of Clear liquids. I wanted to get in the car and drive to the chinese food place, or a fast food joint, or order a pizza. I would only be able to lick it and smell it, but I wanted it BAD. Here is how I cheated - don't try this at home.... I did get some egg drop Soup and ate a small bit in week 1. I gummed a few of those wonton thingies they give you with it. I didn't get sick. I think I ate a single noodle from a chicken noodle soup. I sucked a piece of bacon but didnt swallow it. Sad. Towards the end of week 2 the doctor told me I could start experimenting.... That is exactly what it is. You try different things. I found I could eat egg salad, but not scrambled eggs. I can eat tuna salad, but not tuna by itself. I have eaten (other than the normal greek yogurt and other good stuff): 1 whitecastle cheeseburger, 1/2 of a mexican pizza. Those are the worst things I have eaten and not thrown up. Throwing up was a huge scare for me. It's not as bad as you think it will be. You just do what you can to not repeat the experience. It is, in itself, a great learning aid. Now comes the HOW YOU EAT section.... You cannot eat too fast. you will overeat. you will be shocked at how small your stomach is. Eat a small bite, wait 2 minutes, eat another small bite, wait a bit... After 3-5 bites, stop. You will feel this sense of doom if you eat too much. Your stomach will start to hurt, you may throw up, you will feel an indigestion like feeling start creeping up your throat. Eating definitely is an experiement. Don't do it where you can't recover from it if it's not something you have experienced before. Be at home, with something to puke in if the worst happens. Don't eat and drive I am hoping this part gets a little easier with time. Until then, I am experimenting away. Also, listen to your head. It will tell you "hell no" to stupid ideas. The thought of a nice steak is mouth-watering, but there is NO WAY I would try that now... my head says so. I think week 3 or 4 is when I will start actually trying to hit my protein target.
4. Recovery takes time. I went back to work on day 8 (I sit all day or walk to meetings where I sit). I left feeling completely drained. I stayed home day 9, and went in day 10. This week (day 14) I am at work. I am tired. I have very little energy. Getting up in the am and showering and dressing makes me want to go back to bed. I get in about 1 hour later than usual. I take extended breaks (20 min or so) and just sit in my car with the seat reclined. Every day though is better than the last, so I do see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Overall, I am still in that "What the "F" did I just do to myself?" stage. I am lighter and skinnier, but am coming face to face with the challenges around eating and energy and drinking enough fluids. But, that does get better every day. The good thing is that I didn't overthink this too much... I didn't give in to my fears. I know this was the right thing to do. And now its just a matter of dealing with it. At this point I have no choice! So man up and do it....
Hope this helps...

Quel - what are you eating and drinking? Are you keeping track of your Protein, carbs and liquids? Are you exercising? It's hard to give you ideas on what to do differently if you don't let us know those things.
About being constipated - the first thing you need to do is to make sure you are drinking sufficient fluids. You need to be drinking at least 60 ounces of Fluid per day (I try to get in 80). Nothing moves through your system well if you don't keep it hydrated.
Second, I don't know how much Fiber you are eating. Myself - I don't eat high Fiber foods except some veggies - so I take fiber supplements. I put one or two benefiber packets in my morning smoothie or in other drinks sometime during the day. You can take 3 a day with no problem. They are tastless, and even mix in Water or crystal lite with no problem.
Third - I need to utilize a stool softener to keep things moving along (again I think its because I don't eat high fiber high fat foods). I use Mylanta (again in my smoothie or a drink) most days (probably 5 out of 7 days). I also take about a tablespoon of flax oil every day. Mylanta isn't a laxative - it won't cause damage long-term. Doctors recommend it all the time for WLS patients.
My bathroom habits aren't like the were pre-surgery - but it makes sense they are not. Less going in, less going out. But with the fluids, fiber, Mylanta and flax oil I have achieved a regular, painless schedule. If you decide to try this, it will take a few days for your system to kick in and achieve whatever your new normal will be.
Good Luck!

The sleeve really does help keep portions in control. I promise I did not diet during my maintenance time, but I was conscious of my food choices. I eat anything and everything I want. Grant it, about 85-90% of the time I still eat Protein first, but I enjoy all foods. I drink soda, alcohol(not in pregnancy), enjoy a lot of social gatherings which revolve around food. So, I do feel I live a pretty normal little life with food. BUT, I put in the work early out when really didn't have room for a lot of other foods. I remember even getting into maintenance, and being perfectly content with a few chips/crackers. Now, I can sit around mindlessly eat an entire "Big Grab" (those 99cent) bags of Funyuns.or half a sleeve of crackers without restriction. Those are the habits that I was talking about in my first reply. The sleeve really does help us not gain the weight back, but the sleeve doesn't stop ice cream, Cookies, carby/fat/fried foods from sliding right through. None of the WLS options stop carbs and sliders. So, we still have to be mindful and diligent in our food choices.
My weight gain was over the holiday season last year. From Halloween to New Years, we attended a bunch of parties, social events, get togethers, etc etc and they all involved alcohol in copious amounts, party foods, Snacks. Seriously, every other weekend, I had somewhere to be and had food and booze in hand. Over those 3 months, I had a solid 7lb gain. I saw the scale gradually go up, and thought "oh it's Water weight from the booze". Low and behold, the new year came and those pounds were still there. I went back to just my normal eating habits, not dieting, just Protein first for my meals, and I dropped those pounds in a little over a week. I admittedly hate working out. It's no different than scrubbing toilets. I could probably have more laxity in my food intake if I worked out more. However, I don't want to work out, I don't want to go to a gym, I really just hate exercising. That is a big part of my pregnancy weight gain. I'm eating 1700-1800( about 400-500 more calories than what I ate in maintenance) calories a day with a minimum of 100-200gr of carbs, and 80-100gr of protein per day. The sweet/junk food cravings are unbelievably difficult to fight at this point. I've never dealt with this level of head hunger, or cravings in my life. So, I know that it's pregnancy, and the fact that my eating habits have changed in pregnancy.
The lack of physical hunger really is my #1 contributor to my success. I know my sleeve limits, I also know how to cheat the sleeve so it is still all on me to make the best decision on what goes in my mouth for every meal, every day. I can still go several hours without eating. I still never get a stomach growl, or any physical sign that I need to eat. But, I can eat every hour on the hour if I choose. That's the part that is very hard to overcome for me. I know I can eat a meal, and then an hour later I can wander into the pantry and eat more. I wanted to just put it out there that losing was easy, and maintenance is where I (and many others) struggle. That was my issue before surgery as well. I could lose on WW, or any other "diet attempt", but life would happen and I'd gain back what I lost and then some. For me, the most successful sleeve patients out there are the ones who made major behavioral modifications, and really adhered to a solid plan post-op. I have read 100s of topics from people who experience several stalls, slow weight loss, and/or their weight loss comes to a complete halt because they think that the sleeve will do all the work. Sadly, those same patients post how they don't want to diet, how they want normalcy. Well, I hate to say it, but most of us are NOT normal. If we were, none of us would have sought surgical intervention. Pretty much if you are diligent with food choices, and allow indulgences in moderation, the sleeve works. I can still suck down a milkshake, or eat an ice cream without issue. I really do live by the mantra of "just because I can; doesn't mean I should". It's not always easy, but the sleeve helps tremendously.

For me, my issues, and my goals, I had to change some behaviors. It's a nice thought process that eating small amounts throughout the day will work forever, but your stomach capacity will change. I can easily consume way more calories today than I could say at 2-5 months. Actually, I can and do consume triple the amounts of calories I ate during my losing stage. Mainly, it's because of the pregnancy, but I can eat way more than I could early out. It happens. Most people who are 2-4 years out report the same issues. We can eat more, but that doesn't mean we should. I can tell you that snacking and grazing is dangerous especially in maintenance. Losing was easy, keeping it off, staying in maintenance is not as easy as just eating small portions. If that were the case, none of us would have had to have 85% of our stomachs removed. Certain foods that just didn't work early out, essentially just slide right on through my stomach and allow me to eat way more than I should be eating.
So, for me, I stuck with what my surgeon prescribed for me during my losing stage and then tweaked my maintenance intake to ensure that I was able to keep the weight off without dieting. I promise I do not diet nor deprive myself of any foods in maintenance, but I sure do not need or want to pick up the bad habits that helped me reach my surgery day weight. I ate 4 meals a day (each meal consisted of 15gr of Protein per meal and this gave me the necessary Protein grams per day, it isn't "that" hard to eat enough protein), no Snacks, didn't use protein drinks/shakes, and it worked for me. I continue the same program in maintenance for the most part. As for the pregnancy stuff, I have to snack to eat 1700-1800 calories a day. I have horrific head hunger and cravings that I never dealt with when I had a set meal plan and schedule.
There are plenty of sleeve patients out here who report a real gain of 40-60lbs because of habits/behaviors were never addressed, and life takes over, and BAM here they are back to real dieting trying to get back to their goal weight all while battling the mental/emotional aspect of weight regain and trying to lose it again. Those stories are what made me realize it "just winging it" wasn't going to work for me until I changed some behaviors with food.
We all have issues with food, and no 2 patients will be the exact same, but I do know what I was trying to do before surgery didn't work, and I wasn't willing to just "do it my way" to see if it would work. That didn't work in the past. I wasn't naive enough to believe it work now.
Plus, I never really felt like I was dieting in my losing stage. I just didn't have much room for anything else other than protein. I was satisfied on my small meals, and that kept me on track. So, getting out of "diet mode" is again nice in theory, but long term, we still have to be mindful of what/how much we eat for the rest of our lives. I surely do not know one single 30something year old naturally skinny woman that can just eat whatever and how much of those foods that she wants without seeing some weight gain. All of my naturally skinny girlfriends are not constantly dieting, but they do not have issues with food, and quantity. It's a fine line between not dieting and intuitive eating. I've had a true gain, it was scary, but I know what caused it and resolved the issues. I agree that it's confusing, and you have to do what works best for you, but realize that if you are not getting the results you want from your way of doing it, don't be afraid to change it up and go on the prescribed post-op losing plan from your surgeon.

Chunk - I think we all loved to eat and drink (if not alcohol - sodas, milk shakes, etc). You have to balance your love of that lifestyle with your desire to live a longer and healthier life. You will not be able to eat the quantity of food you do post-surgery you do pre-surgery. After a year, you will be able to eat almost anything in small quantities. You could probably drink in small amounts. I have discovered a small serving of food (whatever it is) satisfies me and I don't want anymore - and the family celebrations don't miss a beat if I have 1 small helping rather than eat like a pig at the trough (like I used to). And if I have a small sip of a mararita then switch to something else it certainly doesn't impair my enjoyment of the evening and it doesn't seem to bother anyone else I'm not drinking (more for the rest of them is their attitude).
It's a tough decision - and you are right to give serious consideration to whether this is a step you want to make. This is a forever thing, not something you will do for a couple of months then can go back to how you were before.
Good luck.

Yes, it makes sense. For guys - the body fat % for athletes is 6-13%. The body fat % for fitness (as opposed to athletes) is 14-17%. So if you have 240 pounds of muscle mass, your body fat % would be:

at 15 pounds of fat (255 pounds total weight) you would have 6% body fat at 20 pounds of fat (260 pounds total weight) you would have 7.6% body fat at 40 pounds of fat (280 pounds total weight) you would have 14% body fat. It is going to depend on how much you want to exercise during your weight loss process and for the rest of your life what your ultimate ratio of lean body mass to fat is. Don't let it overly concern you at this point. Just be in as good of shape as possible (exercise wise) when you go through surgery, and start walking as soon as possible after surgery. Follow your surgeon's rules for when you can start exercising. After six months of weight loss, have another evaluation of lean muscle mass / body fat % and set your final weight loss goal then.

http://www.healthchecksystems.com/heightweightchart.htm
The link above is from the Metropolitan Life Insurance company - it is their official height / weight tables. It lists the target weight ranges for women assuming 3 lbs of clothing wearing 1" heals. It also lists the ranges by frame size (small, medium and large). If you don't know your frame size - it also tells you how to measure and determine that - by using the distance between the two prominent bones in your elbow when your arm is bent at a 90 degree angle to your body.
So first, determine your frame size. Then, find your target weight range from the chart. Determine how much weight there is from where you started to both the top and bottom of the target weight range. That would be the high and low numbers for how much excess weight you started with. My surgeon told me a VSG sleve patient usually losing 85% of their excess weight in the first year. So take 85% of both your excess weight numbers and subtract that from your original weight. That will give you your high and low numbers for how much weight you will probably lose in the first year.
Here's an example using my numbers:
I started out weighing 253. I am 5'4 barefoot
Using the method described on the link, I measured the distance between the two bones in my elbow at 2". This means I have a small frame (hard to believe).
Going to the chart for height and weight, a 5'5" women with a small frame should weigh 117 - 130.
That means I was carrying between 122 to 136 pounds of excess weight. (253-130=122, 253-117=136)
85% of these numbers are 104 and 116 pounds projected weight loss at one year (85% *122=104, 85%*136=116 both numbers rounded up)
So my goal weight for one year is most likely between 137 and 149.
Hope this helps.

I have lost 74 pounds so far and now fit into most 14's (down from a 24W). I have no butt, smaller hips and still have a larger waist and dough-boy belly. ( I am pretty much straight up and down from waist to hips with a small spare tire between.) So getting jeans that fit my waist and don't swamp my butt and hips is a challenge.
I have found two different jeans brand that I really like - one is NOT YOUR DAUGHTERS JEANS. These have strong support to hold in the belly and to lift your butt. It actually puts mine back to where it used to be (miracle of miracles). I by mine from ebay - I don't know what stores carry them.
Also - Levis make a line of jeans that come in three shapes - depending on how big your butt is compared to your waist. Slight Curve (really slight in my case) fits me. There are also two more for you more curvy ladies. If you have a bodacious booty compared to your smaller waist, they can fit you. The jeans come in different colors and washes, and in assorted styles from skinny (not me) to regular to boot cut. I ordered mine from the Levis website (I hate to run around and shop).
Has anyone else found a type of jeans that really fits you? I am not satisfied with the mom jeans look any more. I am not trying to look like a teenager, but I want my clothes to fit. And, I don't want to spend a lot of money, because I am still 45 pounds from goal.

There is a very good resource here on the forum - a wonderful woman whose screen name is Tiffykins. She has been sleeved for around a year and a half to two years and has been very successful. She posted yesterday in response to a topic titled "how much should I be eating?" I am going to quote from her response:
" Measured portions, specifically 2-4oz should be your target meal size. That's by volume for the most part, you could do probably 6oz yogurt and other super soft/liquidy type foods.
Personally, I would not be eating hashbrowns or any type of white carb during the losing stage, but that's just how I chose to lose weight.
You might not get a full signal until it's too late, then you'll be puking or hurting.
I didn't get a "full signal" for months post-op so measuring was my key to not overeating.
I was prescribed 600-800 calories, 60+gr of Protein and no more than 30-40gr of carbs per day.
Measuring foods gives you a few things;
1) Staying within a set dietary guideline
2) Won't leave you hurting or puking
3) Will teach you to undereat your sleeve
Eating until full or stuffed helped get me fat. I was specifically told to undereat my sleeve, to measure, and to stop looking for that full signal because if you constantly overeat it is not changing any of the habits that led to us having surgery."
Look for her on the site, and check out her content. She is a great source of good data from a person who has "walked the walk" and lost her weight.
Good luck on your journey!

On Saturday or Sunday, get a notebook or do it at the computer - plan everything you are going to eat the next week, and when. Plan all your meals, your Snacks, your Fluid intake, etc. Make it work with your schedule (work, whatever). Make it total the calories, Protein, carbs - whatever you are counting. Work in things that fit with what you should be eating but enjoy (think of them as allowed treats). Then, buy what you need to execute the plan. Don't buy what you shouldn't be eating. Every day - follow the plan. It will eliminate you making a choice or thinking about what you eat. Make a bargain with yourself - you get a gold start for each day you follow the plan. When you get ten gold stars, give yourself a reward (non food related). Get a massage, a manicure - something to pamper yourself. Do this for a few weeks to build your habits. I've heard it takes 30 days to build a habit. You might think this is childish - the gold stars and rewards - but we are all children in the respect we are having to learn good eating habits.

First of all, make sure you are drinking 60-80 ounces of Fluid each day. Water is the first thing you need to be regular.
Second - you need to make sure you are getting Fiber. Fiber comes from veggies and fruits and, for me, benefiber packets. You can take up to three a day, and the disolve into Water with no problems. The other thing I do to keep things moving is to use Miralax. I add a capful of Miralax into my diet almost every day. Either in my Breakfast smoothie or in my water that I drink. If I skip the miralax for a couple of days, my system blocks up. Also - the more you exercise, the more likely you are to stay regular. If you are doing all of this and still stay constipated, go see your doc, something may be wrong.
You are driving yourself crazy weighing multiple times per day and it is serving NO PURPOSE. Don't weigh more than once per day. Your weight fluctuates throughout the day for a variety of reasons. The only reason you want to weigh each day is to be accountable for monitoring your weight. After you weigh first thing in the morning, HIDE YOUR scale so you won't be tempted to torment yourself with it during the day.
I hope you get better soon!

First of all, make sure you are drinking 60-80 ounces of Fluid each day. Water is the first thing you need to be regular.
Second - you need to make sure you are getting Fiber. Fiber comes from veggies and fruits and, for me, benefiber packets. You can take up to three a day, and the disolve into Water with no problems. The other thing I do to keep things moving is to use Miralax. I add a capful of Miralax into my diet almost every day. Either in my Breakfast smoothie or in my water that I drink. If I skip the miralax for a couple of days, my system blocks up. Also - the more you exercise, the more likely you are to stay regular. If you are doing all of this and still stay constipated, go see your doc, something may be wrong.
You are driving yourself crazy weighing multiple times per day and it is serving NO PURPOSE. Don't weigh more than once per day. Your weight fluctuates throughout the day for a variety of reasons. The only reason you want to weigh each day is to be accountable for monitoring your weight. After you weigh first thing in the morning, HIDE YOUR scale so you won't be tempted to torment yourself with it during the day.
I hope you get better soon!

WLS Do’s and Don’ts

DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!!

DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next:

DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op.

DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can.

DO Celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it.

DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own…

DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples:

DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do!

DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go.

DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses.

DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!!

DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now.

DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!!

DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences.

DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc…

DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could!

DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life!
DON'T believe the myth that your tool has an expiration date. Yes, it's true you will lose the most weight in the first year and it's also true that the further out you are and the closer you are to goal, the harder it is to lose. However, as long as you keep up with your healthy eating and fitness routines you will continue to lose weight and / or keep it off in the many years post op. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out.
DON'T believe the myth that having WLS will keep the weight off forever. That is our individual responsibility.

And finally…

DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance.

DO look for solutions to your problems. Otherwise they will just become excuses.


DON’T EVER GIVE UP! I don’t think any explanation is necessary here.

DON'T expect the scale to post a loss every single day. As a matter of fact, don't expect it to move that much even weekly! Just keep doing all the right things and the scale will move in the right direction when it needs to.

DO expect to see fluctuations on the scale, both down AND up. DON'T lose your head over it either. This isn't a miracle cure and the weight isn't going to magically disappear in a few weeks. You have to keep pushing with healthy eating, some type of workout and getting plenty of Fluid.

DON'T let the scale define your journey when there are so many pieces to that puzzle!!!



Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind.

Add-ons by other experienced sleevers:

DO keep a list of NSV (Non scale victories) to reflect on when times are getting hard. Can you walk up 2 extra flights of stairs before getting winded? Cross your legs?" and

"DO NOT be afraid to change things if they aren't working. Stalls happen even gains happen. If you are on a long stall look at your eating and decided if changes need to be made. Utilize your tool!" -- Southern Sleever

DO: Keep a food diary of what you eat and drink. This is a great learning tool as to which foods have what amounts of fat, Protein and carbs that add up to your daily intake goals. There are many ways to diary your food - from old fashioned pen and notebook to many options via smartphone apps. Keeping one is the important thing - however is right for you. I use mine now to look back for meal ideas when I hit a blank as to what to prepare for a day or a week.

DO: Realize this is not a diet to be followed for a while then set aside. This is a permanent lifestyle change. Yes, the amount of food you eat will increase as time passes, but your relationship with food will be forever altered. How you Celebrate your joys, successes and holidays will be different. How you mourn your sorrows will be different. Some people need outside help to get through the sometimes overwhelming mental changes this process brings. If you need help with this part of the deal- reach out and get it. -- SKCUNNINGHAM

DO roll with the punches!! -- fern

Now that you have accomplished your weight loss goals and maintaining your new body mass. What's your feeling about folks who are obese or overweight. What goes through your mind when you see a 350 pound lady in the super marker line, or you notice a nice young man that happens to be a double plus size standing at the bus stop.
Do you see the world differently now that you don't have to shop at Lane Bryant or The XL Shop for Men. What going on between your ears? Should you advise others who are morbidly obese to the avenues of successful weight management. Or should you preserve your personal privacy and keep your individual achievements only to your immediate environment. You have succeeded in the area where others have failed.
Let's face it - there is a new part of you with a different mindset. What you do with it and how you handle it is entirely and utterly up to you.
How do you see the world?
Lash

So I took my kids to the y to swim. For yrs I have worn a shirt while swimming. I stood in the locker room deciding if I would go sans shirt. Back an forth back and forth my mind argued with itself. Finally i decided why not! So with slightly trembling hands I tossed the shirt in the locker grabbed my 4 yr olds hand and heade to the pool. My other 3 were already out there. So as I come out of the locker room my 13 yr old son is walking back in. He stops, and gets this funny look on his face and says "ok dad, 1st (at this point my heart is running to hide as I soo have carry guilt about my weight embarrassing my kids) ... 1st you have lost ALOT of weight!!!! 2nd you look Great!!" an then he smiled this goofy 13 yr old my Dad rocks smile. I almost cried! Very manly tears of course. :-)

Today is my 6 month surgiversary, sleeved 1/29/11. As I thought about your question I remember how scared I was to have the surgery. After the surgery I had a very uneventful recovery. Minimally pain after surgery at the hospital and my biggest problem was that I felt like I was going to throw up right after the surgery but that was minimal and I was given nausea (sp??) medication for that. The most difficult part for me in the past 6 months has been reconciling what I can eat with what I want to eat and finding different ways to comfort myself during times of stress than eating. The head hunger to me is far worse than any surgical problems. Good luck to you!

I can't tell you how many times I have read on the forum not to expect too much if you are over 50!! That is just nutty. My mantra is "Who's Universe is this?"
IF I buy into someone else's Belief System [bS], then THAT is what I am stuck with.
Hey--I was stuck in a rut before my WLS. Dr. Aceves told me before surgery in a 45 minute consulation about what to expect with the RESULTS from this surgery that HE would deliver 50% to me -- but the other 50% was up to ME.
10 words 20 letters
IF IT IS TO BE -- IT IS UP TO ME
No one is going to do this for you. NOW is the time to get into relationship with your body in a way that you never have done before. Learn how to be a Body Listener--not a Body Big Mouth. What do I mean?
I was told to TEST one food at a time. NOW just because suzy-q on the Forum can eat something post-op, does not mean that I can eat the same thing. So testing means I try to eat something--and if--my body says NO...then it is a NO.

Don't try to override in your HEAD what your BODY is communicating to you. I read about the number of people who are NOT losing, who have gained __# of pounds and are shocked, or they are throwing up all of the time.
To those people I would say to use a little SALT: Stop-Action ... Listen-Think.
IF IT IS TO BE -- IT IS UP TO ME
Stop what HURTS, stop what makes you throw up, stop trying to be your old SELF, stop trying to be like someone else. Stop those Actions.
LISTEN to your body. Obey your body. THINK about it. THINK about what is no longer working, TEST it for yourself, Test it again and again if you need proof, and then BELIEVE what your body is telling you.
Are you using a food journal? IF so, this is a great place to post your discoveries.
For example, here we are in the middle of the summer and there are lots of BBQ's going on. Body Big Mouth wanted a BBQ'd cheese burger with dill pickles. So I tested. I ate 2-3 bites and the food was so HEAVY that I did throw up, then I had to sleep for a couple of hours to feel better.
But Body Big Mouth did not give up. I waited a week or two and I wanted what I wanted. Test it.
SSDD Same Stuff Different Day
I ate 2-3 bites and the meat was so HEAVY that I threw up, and then had to sleep for a couple of hours to feel better.
Now Body Big Mouth still wanted what I wanted, waited a week or two and decided to test it again. I ate 2-3 bites, the meat was so heavy that my body hurt. SSDD
Stop-Action ... Listen-Think
IF IT IS TO BE -- IT IS UP TO ME
After three tests, notes in my journal, I realized that I was not being a Body Listener ... I was being a Body Big Mouth--I wanted what I wanted when I wanted it--I did not want the results that I was getting--my Ego was louder than my Body-Talk and I was not listening.
So back to being a Body Listener. Back to doing what works for my body.
I have lost 45 pounds in 90 days by realizing that Dr. Aceves gave me the vehicle for a new body.
Now I have to retrain my MIND and my MOUTH to be in relationship with my new vehicle. I need to know when to throw on the BREAKS and Stop-Action...Listen-Think. I have to understand that this is a journey of Self determination and my surgeon gave me the support that I need. He did all he could do--he did his part.
Now I have to do my part. IF IT IS TO BE -- IT IS UP TO ME
Be a Body Listener. Will you please post your thoughts on how you have become a body listener for yourself?
Here are my Before - After pictures [so far] on YouTubes

Five months ago, Dr. Nick did my surgery at Forest Park in Dallas. I had no problems after surgery and went home after one night. I have lost 79 pounds so far - dropping from 24W's to "regular" 14's. I've lost 8 1/2 inches from by bust and waist, and 9 1/2 inches from by hips. I can wear my wedding rings again - in fact I am the size I was when I got married. I need to get the wedding dress out of storage and see if it still fits - I have my doubts - the sand in the hourglass may weigh the same - but it isnt' distributed like it used to be.
I have had a wonderful time reaquainting myself with clothes I haven't seen in years. The thrift store closest to me (benefits battered women) has benefited from a lot of my clothes. Also, my business suits have gone to a charity that gets underpriveledged woman back into the work force - they needed plus size business attire and I didn't want to keep it in my house!
I am doing Zumba now, and have bought myself a nice elliptical machine. I feel much better now than I did before - off of 3/4 of my BP medicine, all of my cholesterol medication, Prozac, advil for my joints, and the damn CPAP machine. I am only taking Vitamins, Iron, Calcium, acid meds, RHT, and Biotin for hair loss.
Can't wait to see what the next 5 months will bring!

Know what goes with diarrhea of the mouth? Constipation of the brain! That tech definately was suffering from both. Hope they are not permanent conditions for her.
Good Luck - KayyyBeee. With your take charge attitude - you will rock the sleeve!

I had one person say that to me.
I responded with "Would you tell a woman who had to have a c-section that she took the easy way out? No...because it would be rude and insensitive. Just like your comment was to me"