Sleevie WonderLand

have you been tested for sleep apnea? I was diagnosed with it prior to being sleeved. I'm proud to say that after losing approx 75 lbs, I'm snore free and no longer in need of my cpap machine!

Disclaimer: Before you read this, know that it was written while I'm at work answering phones and catering to people in my office, so there are probably several run on sentences and errors. No time to proofread! I was sleeved on October 18, 2011, and I still can't believe how fast the time has flown by. Initially when I got sleeved, I had a hard time adjusting to this new lifestyle because I had to re-train my thinking and control my desires to eat for no reason. Once I was able to get accustomed to "eating to live" instead of "living to eat" life became simple, the weight fell off, and I've been the happiest with myself that I've ever been. I used to say "I love me" when I was overweight, but I think I was saying it as a defense mechanism to convince everyone around me that I was happy even though I was fat. That was true to an extent - I love the person that I am, my personality, my generosity, my sense of humor, but I didnt love being fat. Now when I say "I love me" its probably 90% true. I still love who I am, but i'm finally loving the physical me because even though my new body is flawed with excess skin it still allows me to enjoy life more. I'm no longer afraid of breaking lawn chairs, or not fitting in theatre chairs, or sweating profusely because I'm so overweight. I'm willing to attempt things and activities that are more physical, and the self consciousness will rear it's ugly head, but then it quickly goes away when I remember that I am no longer grossly obese. It's amazing how much your perspective on EVERYTHING changes once you shed a massive amount of weight. It's the greatest thing ever. My life for the past 5 to 6 months has been "normal". When I say that I mean that I have stopped living like I'm sleeved and have begun living like this is my normal life. I dont get on the scale incessantly. I havent counted calories or checked in to myfitnesspal, etc. I monitor what I eat (which is usually the same things over and over) but I dont obsess about it. I havent been to the gym as much - aw hell, i havent been to the gym all summer. In my defense, I was working and just never made the effort to get there. I do have plans to get that regimen back in place, but I'm not sweating it. I'm living my new normal life. Shopping has turned into a delight. I was initially traumatized when I had to shop for my new body. I was still losing weight and just didnt know how to put things together for my slimmer thighs, but flabby tummy and arms. It took me some time to figure out that 3/4 sleeved tops are my best friend; that it was ok for me to go into the junior's section to find clothing (they have some cute clothes for the younger chicks! lol); I also realized that i didnt just have to stick to one section to get my outfits together. I was accustomed to dealing with whatever tents Lane Bryant and the Avenue offered, because those were my only options. I've been sleeved, I've been liberated....and I've been shopping! I wasnt sure how much weight I wanted to lose initially because I'm on the taller side of the scale and didnt want to appear to lanky or "sick" as people like to say. I figured that if I lost about 60 to 70 pounds, I'd be content. I've lost 75 pounds, and I'm happy with that. My weight fluctuates up and down 2 lbs depending on my time of the month, but it's been steady and consistent for the past 2 months. I dont know if I'll lose more when I get back into the gym, but if I dont, I'm totally fine with that. My social life has changed somewhat as well. I never revealed my weight loss surgery to anyone so everyone has been speculating on how I've lost the weight. I told some that I drastically changed my diet and used protein shakes to kick the weight loss off, I've even given some of them some recipes and my meal plans. Sometimes I do feel guilty for not sharing my real secret, but at the same time it's my business and I dont want to be judged based on that. So as I planned it, my secret will go to my grave with me unless my husband and kids decide to spill the beans. I havent officially lost any friends, but I do notice a distance from some people who I thought would be happy for me. Ive actually been called "skinny" amongst friends, but not in a happy way, more like if being skinny is a bad thing. go figure. this is totally random, but I hate it when people tell me not to lose anymore weight because I'll begin to look sick. I always comeback with "why didnt you tell me not to gain any more weight when I was fat? Surely I looked sick then?" that usually leads to some real uncomfortable silence. I love it! I consider myself a sleeve success story. I'm not saying it was an easy journey, but I am saying it's an easy journey once you lay the path out. Dont set up unrealistic goals for yourself based on what others are doing. I would read other people's success stories and see that they lost 75 pounds in their first 4 to 5 months of being sleeved. It didnt happen that way for me because it wasnt supposed to! Each of us have to individualize our journeys. I was not the model sleeve patient - i dont take vitamins as often as I should; I drink soda; I dont go to the gym consistently; I hardly drink water. These may be the factors for my weightloss not being in the 100s. But I'm FINE with that. My decisions, my choices, my journey. My happiness! If you aren't sleeved yet and are reading this, I suggest that you continue to do your research and know what you're in for when you have this surgery. It's life changing in every aspect - physical, mental, and social. Some of it may not be all good, but it's most certainly worth it in my opinion. I'd take 10 pounds of loose flappy skin over 75 pounds of unnecessary fat any day! Other than having my children and getting married, this has been the best thing to happen to me. I'm forever grateful to whoever came up with this procedure.

I'm actually down to 184 now, and still losing inches. I'm wearing a size 10, and can fit into some 8s! I'm as happy as a lamb, saggy skin and all.

There are many adjustments that have to be made as a sleever. Depending on who you decide to tell about your decision for surgery, you may have to turn down a lot of offers for food and drink while out on the social scene. Usually when I go out I get comments on the small amount of food I eat, and I casually remind those commenters that if I want to keep my weight off, I have to eat like a bird. What Ive found is that most of the people I hang with have all cut back on the amounts of food they eat because they are actually a little embarrassed to over eat in front of me! My family knows the situation. THey've adjusted to my bird eating, and my not eating at all sometimes. Cooking hasnt changed either, except my family has been eating a lot more seafood than before because thats what I eat a lot of now. I find that seafood is easier for me to digest, and its so much quicker and easier to cook too! (but it costs). There have been slight changes to my entire family's eating habits i.e, no one eats while drinking anymore. It was a tactic I used with my young children before my surgery to get them to eat their food. I found that when I gave them a beverage with their food they would finish the beverage then not eat, so I would always encourage them to eat before drinking. It's the BEST way to get them to finish those veggies. My husband used to eat and drink, but to support me during my transition he stopped eating and drinking, and now it's the norm for him too. If you look at these changes you'll have to make as positive ones that are for your betterment, you're less likely to have a hard time making them. If you b***h and moan about them, then the adjustment will be harder. If you don't try to adjust and make changes, you'll suffer. It's as simple as that. I wish you the best of luck! If I had one suggestion for you before you go in for surgery it would be to enjoy a nice meal because it will be quite sometime before you are able to eat really savory foods again. That pre-op diet is a killer and I harbored so much resentment because it was 6 frickin weeks before I could enjoy something as simple as eggs...lol

My info seminar was VERY informative. My surgeon conducted it and had a powerpoint slide show containing information about the different types of weight loss surgery which definitely helped me decide on the sleeve over the lap-band. Ask any and every question you have. You should feel informed and comfortable enough to take the next steps required to sign up for the surgery. Ask about the surgeon's success rate, and about leakage stats. You want to make sure you'll be in good hands. i'm sure there are threads here on VST that can give you ideas on questions you should ask the surgeon. Good luck!

Congrats on making it to Onederland! Ditto on everything Lissa said, except I'm cutting my hair instead of trying to grow it out. It was falling out really badly, but has since slowed down. I keep it short because it looks thicker. Good luck!

Krenee, don't give up. even if you have to do the 6 month pre diet, do it. This surgery is worth it. If you really want to change your life and improve your health and need a tool that will prevent you from overfeeding yourself, then you need to be sleeved. Hang in there, and know that you have an entire community (VST) rooting you on. If you have to do the six month pre diet, then you can use that time to begin changing your eating habits and get a jump start on your exercise regimen. don't get discouraged....get sleeved!

Update! Wow. I just re-read my post from October and had the best laugh. All my grief and bit chin was hilarious, but the process was definitely worth it. YES, i'd do it all over again.

There is light at the end of the tunnel for sure! Just be patient with yourselves and make note of the journey along the way.

I had a hard time after surgery dealing with my food addiction. The problem is that mentally you want to eat any and everything in sight, especially if you're watching tv because all the advertisements seem to be about FOOD. The problem is that after being sleeved you CANT eat any and everything. Actually, it's not a problem, it's a good thing because that's why most of us end up here trying to get sleeved! I think I bitched about it in my blogs. I was literally having tantrums because I wanted to eat some real food and it was probably a whole 4 weeks before I was able to eat anything solid. I was going crazy and was really resenting the fact that I decided to have the sleeve done. After a few weeks I reasoned with myself and understood that restriction was the only thing that could help me lose weight. As much as I loved food, I loved it too much and had no control and ended up being morbidly obese. So the great thing about being sleeved is that even though you want to over eat and gorge and binge, you physically can't because it hurts so freakin bad if you eat just an ounce more than your new tiny tummy can handle. Eventually you become accustomed to eating the foods you like in much smaller portions, and you begin to appreciate your sleeve once you realize that you're losing weight and still able to enjoy food to an extent. You still get the feeling of being full, and your tastebuds still get to delight in delicious foods and tasty treats! I'm not gonna sugar coat it at all. It wasn't easy for me that first month after being sleeved. But the struggle that I went through was so worth it. I lost 63 pounds so far and haven't looked back since. I'm down from a size 22 to a size 10 and couldn't be happier. My suggestion which will probably get frowned upon by many is for you to enjoy your favorite meal before your surgery. Don't over do it, but if you like steak, then have a steak before you go in because it will most likely be a long time before you're able to enjoy a piece of steak again while you're healing. I think I was going insane because I had the pre-op diet going and then had to wait another 4 weeks before eating solids, so essentially I didnt have REAL food for 6 weeks! You know what that does to someone who loves food? LOL All the best to you...safe surgery, quick and easy recovery. Just be patient and take everything in stride. The sleeve is the best decision I've ever made for myself and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Oh yeah, the extra skin...my arms, thighs, stomach... I hate it. If I could get rid of it, I'd probably be 20 pounds lighter than I am now. I've tried everything, nothing is really working for me. I can feel my muscles underneath the skin firming up, but the skin is just hanging on.

I was just worried that I would continue to lose and lose and lose. I guess i'll listen to my body. @Blackberry, I don't think I'm too thin at this weight. I'm loving where I am right now. I don't want to become too thin, especially since I'm tall and have a large frame. If I could remove this flabby skin from my stomach thighs and arms, I'd probably weigh about 170 pounds.

Update: Hairloss slowed down tremendously. Wearing size 10, sometimes 12 clothing. Oh, and I can wear my shirts tucked in to my pants and not look like the michelin man! Still not taking vitamins the way I should, but I'm doing better than I was. Just about at goal weight, I like the way I look in my clothing. Still hitting the glute machine in the gym. Now my booty is firming up but its still flat as hell. smh my boobs have turned into prunes with raisins on the ends as nipples. I finally weigh less than my husband. What an awesome feeling to not feel like I'm gonna smother him. I started telling people that I do weight watchers. Its' easier for them to believe you when you tell them that because they compare the weight loss to Jennifer Hudson. When I was telling them before that I changed my eating habits, for some reason it was harder for them to comprehend. Try the weight watchers story, they'll leave you alone.

Its been 5 months and 63 pounds ago that I was sleeved. After my first couple of weeks of being sleeved I couldn't see THIS happening, I thought I would never get here. Here for me is just about at goal. I'm currently 189 pounds, and I guess I will settle at 185 just because I think 185 sounds better than 189. When I started this journey I had no idea of what my goal weight was. The experts suggest that someone of my height and age should weigh somewhere around 150; if I went down to 150 i would definitely look like a q-tip. I'm very happy and comfortable where I am now. I am able to fit into a size 10, which blows my mind because I started this journey wearing a size 22. I'm finally accepting my new size. Early on I was having a hard time visualizing myself in this thinner body. I was struggling when I went clothes shopping because all I've known for the past 25 years is plus sized clothing. when I finally realized that I had to shop in the "regular" sized stores, I was so intimidated and unsure of myself (weird right?). I would wear clothing and everyone would rant and rave about how thin I looked and even though I would see myself in the mirror, the change wasn't as significant to me as it was to everyone else. A couple of weeks ago I went to a beauty pageant with a friend of mine and she asked me to wear something short because she wanted to wear a cute short dress that she recently purchased. I agreed. I had to run to a store and purchase a short dress because frankly I've always felt like I was too big for short dresses and didnt have one. I ended up buying a cute black dress with a nude lace overlay that was slightly form fitting and stopped right above my knee. I tried it on and could not believe how great I looked. no girdle, no spanx, just me. I had a tiny belly bulge, but hey, i've got four kids, I'm entitled to it! I wore that dress that evening with my 5 inch pumps and looked like a freakin supermodel (well I felt like one anyway!) My husband, kids, and girlfriend couldn't stop telling me how great I looked, and I was finally able to agree with them. My AHA moment! This surgery has done so much for me. I'm no longer gorging, and even when I have the desire too, I just can't because I'm sleeved. I sometimes get cravings for super sweet junk food that's no good for me, and when I try to indulge, my craving is usually curbed after the first or second bite, because I'm sleeved. My health concerns regarding diabetes and high blood pressure have eased because I'm so much healthier and even going to the gym. All because I'm sleeved! My issues with self esteem and confidence have been taken care of...yes, because of my sleeve. I know that every now and then I will doubt myself, but I promise you it won't be as much as it was before my sleeve. I'm eager to live and try new things - the things I wouldn't do before because I thought I was too fat and didnt want to bring attention to myself. My relationship with my hubby has rekindled as well. We were ok before I was sleeved as he has been nothing but supportive and caring through our 10 years together, but now that I'm more confident, I'm willing to do more and try new things with him (get your minds out of the gutter). I'm more anxious to go out of the house and just see what life has out there to offer. It's a great feeling. I'm over the moon and under 200 lbs!

Hey VSTers... It's been quite a few weeks since I've checked in. Hope everyone has been losing! I was sleeved in October and have lost 63 pounds so far. I wasn't sure of what I wanted my goal weight to be, I figured I'd play it by ear and see where the weight loss takes me because numbers don't always match the picture you have in your head. I'm a tall girl with a large frame, so going from 252 to 152 isn't going to work for me although that's what the "experts" think my ideal weight should be. I'm currently at 189, wearing a size 10/12, and I'm perfectly happy at this size and weight give or take a few more pounds. I still shake my head in disbelief when I remember that when I started this journey I was wearing a size 22! My dilemma is that I don't know how to maintain the weight I'm at now. I'm still eating like a bird, so i'm assuming the weight is going to continue to come off. I eat any and everything that doesn't upset my stomach (I drink soda on occasion too, don't judge me!) and don't drink Protein shakes. Am I supposed to try to increase my intake? I eat like a bird because I get full really quickly and don't know if I can increase my intake. I know I should probably talk to my nutritionist, but I wanna hear what my VSTers who are living the sleeved life have to say about maintenance.

There's also a phone app for it, so you can even log in your food items when you're on the go!

myfitnesspal.com is the bomb. If you decide to join, friend me! my handle is sleevie wonder!

Does it count if you can't stop checking your own self out? Gheesh, i've suddenly become a mirror ***** since losing this weight!

I haven't had any food funerals thus far and don't plan to, but I had to let you guys know that this is the CUTEST thread ever.

Sometimes you'll have to look through some of the options to get different measurements i.e. "can", or "oz". If the option they give you is 8 oz and you only had 4 oz, then you adjust the amount to .5 of a serving. It's a little tricky at first but soon you'll get the hang of it. You may not always get the exact product or item that you had but the point is to log your food and keep track of what you're doing. Accountability is key! Good luck and ask all the questions you want....that's what we're all here for! by the way - you can add me too, my handle is Sleevie Wonder.

Use the next 90 days to condition your mind and body to get used to the change that's about to take place. Start a mild exercise regimen. Begin taking vitamins if you don't already. Start eating with smaller utensils and smaller plates. Try not to eat and drink at the same time, and continue to scour through the posts on VST for any questions about this procedure and what life is like after being sleeved. Read the good and bad posts...It's a BIG life change and preparing for it before it comes will make the transition much easier for you. Wishing you the best of luck!

People are afraid of change. I don't think they mean to be discouraging. I think that since they know we'll change physically that maybe we will also change mentally and that's kinda scary to them. YOU might be the one to get all the attention and compliments when it may have been the other way around in the past. You may become more confident and excel into a whole new GOOD life, and that's intimidating to people. Your BIG change is hard for them to deal with. But you know what, they'll get over it! It's very rare to find a family member that gets excited about someone having weight loss surgery. Friends who know about your struggle with weight loss may be excited, but sometimes family members are just accustomed to you being the big one in the family, that's just the way they expect things to be. Your decision to have weight loss surgery is almost like when parents announce that they are getting divorced. That means lots of changes will be taking place, and it scares everyone. Eventually when she sees your weight loss and sees the change in your attitude, she'll come around! All the best to you on your journey. And be sure to let us know her reaction when she does see how fabulous you look and feel in April!

Lissa what's your MFP handle? I GOTTA add you as a friend!

"...cucumbers make great crackers!" How frickin awesome is that! You just opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me Lissa!

For food ideas, might I suggest that you log on to myfitnesspal.com (there are a lot of VSTers on there) and you can get a glimpse of everyone's intake there. It has helped me with ideas on what to eat because you actually see the nutrition values (including protein) on their logs. The great thing about myfitnesspal is that they have a phone app so you have no excuses on why you can't keep your food log up to date. Good luck! BTW my handle is sleeviewonder on MFP if you decide to sign up....Friend me!