New & Improved Mel

Best story ever!! You go!! hot-daddy!!

I was on liquids 3 weeks before and 2 weeks afterwards... pretty close to what your doctor has instructed. The 3 week diet before surgery is hard but gets you off to a great start. I lost more weight in the 3 wk liquid diet before surgery than I did at 2 months post op! Honestly use this time to get your journey started, the weightloss with the sleeve is gradual! and isn't a miracle. (Don't get me wrong it works and you lose weight, but you will lose more weight in these first 3 weeks if you stick to the rules than you will with the sleeve, once you can eat again.. believe me!!) Did your doctor explain that the strict diet shrinks your liver and makes your surgery easier to perform and can lead to less complications?? Which is a very good thing to do!! Try to trust your doctor they don't do 7 years at university to make our lives hell... (well we hope not anyway!! lol). I might have just been lucky but I had a great recovery, I have never once vomitted or even felt sick.. maybe because I was on liquids for longer than some maybe my stomach had more time to heal...?? I dunno (I'm not a doctor he,he).. Trust that at the moment, the liquid diet is hell, but this hell ends once you have had surgery.. Instantly the hunger is gone and the obsession with food fades.. the diet afterwards is easy! Just get yourself through the next few weeks! You can do it!!! Best wishes for your surgery, speedy recovery and awesome weight-loss!!!!!

It sounds a little like you bought clothes that may be a little too BIG for you already!! lol... I think you should have done the shimmy scoot dance thingy and got your skinny-shrinking booty into the straight XL's (without the 2!!)... That will be your size next week anyway!! lol. It's great to hear everybody's success stories!! You go girl!!

Thanks everybody, I have started taking Biotin hope it starts to improve the hair loss situation soon because I am leaving my DNA everywhere!!!! Hope everybody is travelling along well too!!

You will know what is right for you. At first the fact that you have had this surgery is all you can think about and it dominates your life and probably is on the tip of your tongue.. but I am at 3 months now and it has just become a new-awesome way of life for me now. I imagine its how skinny people eat naturally and I have just over-eaten for as long as I can remember... I don't feel as though I have done anything to myself to be eating like I do now, that part is almost forgotten (hehe.. like childbirth).. I truely feel like I just eat like a healthy thin person now... so it really isn't like I am going around consciously hiding anything... maybe if I had a lapband I would feel as though I have something to declare??? (the fact that something is put into your body?).... But I didn't feel the need to inform everybody of getting my tonsils and wisdom teeth removed either and still don't!! lol Best of luck everybody

Thanks KellyL, made an appointment to get some more scripts. Thank you, I am convinced this is my problem!! ((HUGS)) KellyW, I really hope things settle down for you. Perhaps a change in your hormones is causing your hunger at the moment, I still get ravenous before the time of the month and having this surgery made my cycle all over the place!! (but still worth it )

You know what made me not tell anyone?? .. was when I was trying to put a face to a name about another mother at my childs school; the person I was taking to said "You know, 'The Sleeve-Sisters'"... I instantly knew who she was talking about and didn't even know the lady!! I thought that was sad That this probably amazing, friendly woman (that I didn't know) was only known for the surgery she chose to have... I dunno, just my opinion Some might be happy that having the surgery made them 'known', I guess it depends on our individual personalities. Having said that, if I had a friend or anybody who shared my weight problems ask me how I lost weight, I would confide in them and gladly help them in anyway I could, but at the moment I am surrounded by thin people!!

I told my immediate family and my best friend only. Like you said, I didn't want to defined for life as "Mel who had WLS", when I am "Mel" and always will be "Mel"... I am glad everyday I just did it & told nobody and don't feel an once of guilt when people ask or say I'm looking good.. I reply my standard reply "I'm trying hard!!".. which is mostly true I feel I don't need anybody else's judgement!

I think I will go to my GP and get another script.. I did read on the packaging that Nexium can hinder absorption of B group Vitamins, specifically B12 (which is something you don't want to have a deficiency in as it affects your mental health and leads to mania). KellyW.. perhaps the rumbling is how your new stomach functions now, I know things are not the same for my stomach now, and sometimes it does lots of flips and I can kinda feel the food being processed now..

I don't know if this is a coincidence; but I am 3 months out and recently posted my 3 month update. Since then my Nexium which was prescribed for 3 months after surgery finished. This week I didn't lose any weight, when I have lost about 1kg or 2.2lbs a week for the past 12 weeks... Has anybody else had this happen or think there is a connection between Nexium or any other stomach acid reducing medication and their weight loss?? (Im just trying to figure out what went wrong!) Mel

I'm at 3 months out and here is where I'm at: I started this journey at 100kg (aahh!!) 220lbs and now I weigh 77.6kg / 170 lbs (Yay!!!) I have lost 22.4kg / 49lbs... I was busting out of Australian size 18's and now I can get my butt into a size 12!!! I have lost 71 cm in total from my body.. 20cm alone from my waistline!! My BMI is now 31, down from 40.. I once had sleep apnoea, now I don't wake up grasping for air!! I used to feel huge and in the way, now I feel comfortable in my skin... I used to puff crossing to oval to pick up my kids, I now skip up the stairs with ease.. My exercise bike was caked with dust, it's now out of hibernation. What else can I say? but this is without a doubt the best thing I could have ever done for myself!!!... Sure compared to others, I am one of the 'slow-losers'.. but thats fine. I chose to be a 'secret-sleever', so the gradual loss is working well for me, nobody suspects that I am losing weight in any other way than good old diet and exercise, (which is pretty accurate anyway).. but I have this sensational tool that makes it just that little bit easier!! I still have 15.6kg / 34lbs to lose reach my goal weight of 62 kg (BMI of 25)... so I guess my only concern is that I am now worried about when this weight loss will stop and the honeymoon period people say about on this forum??.. (That and the fact that I am still losing quite a lot of hair each day, luckily I have quite a lot hair to begin with!!)... So if anybody has any advice or experience about what to expect in terms of weight loss from this point on I would really appreciate it!

I have to agree with Disney here, I reckon go with your cravings. If you only allow yourself a small taste and sit and eat it slowly and enjoy whatever it is, the craving goes and you don't have to feel ashamed by doing what you did caused by constantly depriving yourself of something. It is an easily fixed eating disorder!! Just as long as you keep it to a small amount or make sure you make up for any indulgences by doing extra on the treadmill etc.. I don't think it is good to constantly deprive yourself and sometimes we crave things we nutritionally lack..NOT that a chip supplies much or any nutrition but pehaps you needed salt? ..Who knows,(probably not the case) but the other poster who mentioned somebody that does the same thing with a piece of steak could possibly be low on Iron?? (or just really want a STEAK! LOL). Or maybe this way of life is something you would prefer to adopt when you are at the maintenance stage of your weight loss?? Its up to you, but don't be so hard on yourself, you are obviously very motivated and doing the right thing 99% of the time All the best,

I love hearing these success stories!! It is amazing that we are all able to inspire each other with our journeys to a healthier life. (Before this surgery I couldn't inspire anybody!) Congratulations and 'You Go Girl' on your weight loss goal!! I bet shopping for you wedding dress was so much more fun than it would have been 8mths ago!! You were probably overwhelmed with choice instead of having to settle for whatever fitted!! Best wishes for you now, and for reaching your goal and for your special day xx

I couldn't agree more! People need to be aware that this can happen and hopefully your very informative post will make others recognise when something isn't 'right' with their sleeve and perhaps they may have some knowledge at what to expect in their next stage of recovery. Thank-you for sharing your story and it is wonderful to hear that your fiance is getting better each day. Hopefully in a month or two, when she is feeling the amazing feeling that comes along with losing weight, all the pain and heartache she is feeling right now will be a distant memory. Sending warm wishes your way,

... I don't know but I am pretty sure your old habbits would have had you devour that bag of chips and not give it a second thought. I think you did well. Remember you didn't actually eat a thing! I think you are being a bit hard on yourself and I am sure, in time, your cravings for these foods will diminish.. but even if they don't, really whats the harm in what you did?? (Apart from the fact that you wouldn't do it in public! LOL). Try to Celebrate your small achievements along the way and remember how far you have come. We don't always have to suffer in life to 'be good' I think you chose a smart way to tackle your cravings.