Sleevie WonderLand

This is an awesome thread, it would be even better if there was a way to sort the information by state or country.

After my surgery and this weight comes off I CANT WAIT TO:

bend over and tie my shoes without losing my breath
paint my own toenails comfortably
wear clothing that doesnt have an "X" in the size (e.g. 1X, 2X, etc.)

This group thing is a great idea!

I'm new to VST and having a hard time finding the information I'm looking for. I'm also a member on Obesityhelp.com, that site is a little easier to manage, but I'm gonna stick it out.

I'm in the NY area, so if anyone is interested in staying in touch and possibly meeting for group dinners, holla at your girl!

This is an awesome thread, it would be even better if there was a way to sort the information by state or country.

I have no appetite at all. None. I wake up in the morning and do a little walk, about 15 mins or so, then I get back home and start to get my family ready for the day. No desire to eat at all. I may have a sip of Water, but just enough to take a Vitamin. On my way to work I usually have a half a cup (4oz) of tea. By that time I kinda feel Ms. Sleeve saying something, so I'm assuming that she wants to eat. When I get to work I usually get a boiled egg and it takes me forever to eat it because I have no desire to eat it. Anyway, I usually have a little more tea after that, probably an hour or two later, just to get the taste of the egg outta my mouth. Sometimes i find myself gargling with mouthwash constantly and brushing my teeth because these tastes tend to linger in my mouth and it nauseates me. At about 1 pm, I take my Nexium tablet. I've been taking it at that time every day since I been sleeved, so it's just what I've been doing. I noticed that about 15 minutes after I have it, Ms. Sleeve starts to act really weird; I don't get hungry, but I do get nauseous and end up running to the chinese restaurant to get some egg drop or wonton Soup to calm her down. Today I ate two wontons and didn't drink the soup; she seemed to be fine, but then about 1/2 hour later, my stomach just felt weird, so I decided to have some more tea. I tried to drink water first, but it tasted like metal to me, so I couldn't deal with it. Now I have this constant feeling like if I make a wrong move, I'll vomit. Like the food/liquid hasn't settled in my stomach, or like I've eaten too much.
This has been my story for the past 4 days; what am I doing wrong? I'm not eating while I'm drinking, and I'm really not consuming much food at all. Am I taking in too much Fluid? I thought the fluid thing was good because I need to stay hydrated? SMH
I've been stressing over the fact that i'm not getting much food in at all. My Nut isn't very happy about it either, but what's a no-appetite, nauseous girl to do?

This group thing is a great idea!

I'm new to VST and having a hard time finding the information I'm looking for. I'm also a member on Obesityhelp.com, that site is a little easier to manage, but I'm gonna stick it out.

I'm in the NY area, so if anyone is interested in staying in touch and possibly meeting for group dinners, holla at your girl!

This group thing is a great idea!

I'm new to VST and having a hard time finding the information I'm looking for. I'm also a member on Obesityhelp.com, that site is a little easier to manage, but I'm gonna stick it out.

I'm in the NY area, so if anyone is interested in staying in touch and possibly meeting for group dinners, holla at your girl!

Hi Fallen Angel, I did get your message, just got home and logged in to the computer. I'm going to ask Alex to make you and Larae the new group leaders.
thanks to both of you for stepping up to the plate!

Wow, it's been forever since I've visited the NY Group, and I see we've got a few new members!
Welcome Krenee, I'm Sooo Excited, RXTEK320, Kiki Von Moonshine (cute name!), Tana Q, Hibmirn, Fitbottomedgirl, NYCBigGurl, BkDoll, AmberB10021, Ariesgirl, Jimmy Got Soul, BabyPink002, and Beba238!
Honestly, when I started this NY group I had aspirations of it turning into something where we could have a group meet up, but as you can see that never worked out. What I can do is let all of you know that I'm no expert or anything but if you have any sleeve questions you wanna ask, i'll do my best to answer, or at least try to point you in the right direction! I'm not on VST as often as I used to be, but if you hit my inbox, I'll get a notification letting me know I have a message.
Lets continue to encourage each other in this crazy journey. Sending positive energy and prayers out for those struggling with the pre-op journey as well as the post op journey! Hang in there, it really does get better!
New York is frickin awesome. So are we!

You won't be able to finish your own food after surgery! Once the weight starts to fall off, you'll be able to run with them and you'll have to find other things to do because eating won't occupy your mind and time like it used to!
I also suggest that you sign up to MyFitnessPal.com. You can use it to help you track the amount of Proteins and other nutrients you're consuming.

Hey all! I see there are a lot of Bronxites here- how awesome! I'm from The Bronx as well, 23 years old. I'm going through Jacobi Hospital in The Bronx- still in the early pre op steps.
It would be AWESOME to eventually get a group of NYC folks together for a meetup! I could really use some local 'sleeve friends' lol since most of my friends really don't understand wanting surgery. Having support here is really great!

I cant wait to sit in a plastic or folding chair and not worry that it's going to break or sink deeply in to the grass and dirt.
I cant wait to stop second guessing myself about everything. This weight takes so much of my self confidence away sometimes.

I'm a female in my early 50's and 5'6". I started my pre-surgery diet on 7/5/11 @ 251 and had my surgery on 7/19/11. As of today I've lost exactly 96 with 20 more to go (my doctor says he thinks another 5 but I want to make it down to 135). My surgeon was Dr. Roth, who is associated with Columbia Presbyterian but does surgery up at Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville. I actually live really near the 168th street site (up next to the Cloisters) but decided to have the surgery in Bronxville as I thought the caregivers outside of NYC would be better. I am very happy with my decision. In terms of getting back and forth for pre- and post-survery visits at the hospital it was fairly easy to go using Metro North as the Bronxville stop is right across the street from the hospital. The pre-surgery diet and the 1st few weeks after surgery were the most difficult but since then it's been very easy. For the most part I've stick to 800 calories a day, as the nutritionist instructed. On weeks where I went over I didn't loose as much (duh!). I do exercise EVERY day (40 minutes on a real bike mounted on a trainer). Having this surgery is the best decision I've ever made!

Re: losing and losing, all you have to do is add in some fat. Peanut Butter in your Protein shake, avocado in your salad or on a sandwich, full-fat milk instead of lowfat/skim, snacking on some cheese, juice instead of Water, etc. Nothing wrong about having dessert once in a while, either.
Re: loose skin - if you lose more weight, you might find that some of it was actually fat. I remember thinking if I got down to 155 lbs, I'd be ripped to shreds. Well, I'm at 140 now and I still have some flab on my butt and inner thighs. I'm sure if I got down to 135, I'd realize I still had some extra fat somewhere.

What the other posters have said is right on target, but I especially believe in the idea that we're not giving up food -- we're just giving up the AMOUNT of eat we used to eat (like Kimberly said). I really struggled with the idea mentally that I will never taste my parent's homemade cooking again, my husband's wonderful recipe's, or my favorite dishes eating out. But once I was able to go to solid foods, I realized I can still have those things just in moderation. Granted, I'm still being very watchful of what I eat having gone through a few stalls already. But when my husband was comped apple pie the other night at a restaurant, I had the smallest bite I think could ever exist. I mean it literally fit on the end of ONE of the prongs of the fork. But that bite was so amazing, and full of flavor. I savored it and was happy that I didn't want anymore. I was full of of 2.5oz of an unbuttered lobster tail and some broccoli! And yes, the waiter asked me three times if I was sure I didn't want them to prepare my tail with butter nor serve it drawn on the side
I know eventually the weight will come off, I will get sick of being so diligent with my food journal, and I'll let the not-so-good stuff back in. But at least I know I won't be able to have that second portion of Pasta - hell, I'll be lucky if I can get through a 1/3 cup of pasta! Even if I lapse, I'll have this wonderful tool to remind me when I've had just enough. And it will be there to help me get back on track when I need to, along with the knowledge of what I know I need to sustain. Before this surgery, I thought 600 calories was starvation. There is a nagging voice in my head that still tells me that from time to time. But that's because before I was dieting at just 1000 calories, but still using caffiene, carbs, and sugar in that diet. I wasn't always watching what the calories were made up from! Now, I feel the best I've felt in YEARS and it's like it's clicked in my head. It's become natural instinct to go for the Protein before anything else.
I've truly realized my relationship with food was very attached to my emotions and memories. Food became a source of celebration that it was the weekend, that I made it through a difficult deadline at work, and then on the darker side it became a comfort when I felt rejected by coworkers, or my self-esteem was extremely low. Little did I know I was making it worse. Now, I have so much time to do other things and not think about food or where I'm going to go for food later or what treat I'm going to pick up later. My food is there and it's for nutrition, not for kicks. Yes, I will still enjoy my Dad's chicken bog next time I visit, but I'll skip or go easy on the rice and have more chicken. Now I get to choose when I want to ENJOY the food instead of it having control over me. Now I'm able to cope with those emotions and moments with something other than food like taking a walk or bike ride, cleaning up around the house or doing a project. Or just enjoying the fact my husband hugs me ALL the time now because he loves that he can get his arms all he way around me again :wub: :wub:

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!

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!

I totally agree with Diva, let your body be the judge. . . mine stopped losing at 2 years out. . i'm out now 3 years and feel and look good. . . that is most important to me right now as well. . . good luck

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

*snorts, grunts, and giggles like Beavis and Butthead*

I can't help but feel compelled to comment on this. Truth is an interesting concept, because each and every one of us will have our own truth. I think that the truth most members of this forum live is that this surgery has changed their lives for the better and they would do it again in an instant.
Ja's truth is scary to read about for sure, but the risk of these things happening are SO LOW. You are more likely to suffer severe complications from obesity than you are from this surgery. I certainly don't want to minimize what Ja is going through, because it's seriously awful stuff- but please keep in mind that she's not telling the 'truth about how awful this surgery is".... she's just telling her story of complications that are quite rare.
I hope that you spend more time reading this forum and see how many wonderful success stories are here of people who are so happy with their results in order to make a more balanced decision.

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

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

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

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