graphix1

I love(d) bread. Love love love love love love everything bread. Love. Like lovity love love love. LOOOOOOVE. Love love love. Love it love it love it. Ate meals consisting entirely of it. Didn't go a day without it. Ordered extra baskets of it. Only went to restaurants that gave it to you. Bread bread bread bread bread. Give me bread. Knew what time the local groceries took it out of the oven so I could bring it home hot. One for me on the way home, one for the family AT home. Plain, with butter, with cream cheese, with brie, toasted, cold, smeared, bread bread bread,

I quit bread with all the will power of someone who MADE.THE.DECISION a month pre-op. Tried a bit a toast when I moved to food a few months post op. It stuck. Tried it again soaked in Soup, it stuck. Tried it a third and final time and realized I was trying it out of habit, not because I wanted it. Still love the smell, the texture, the crunch, hate the feeling it gives me so I don't eat it. I might pick a crusty piece off at Panera and chew it up really well but I know the swallow is going to suck so I rarely do that. I don't miss it as much I was sure I was. Tortillas get stuck so I make wraps or quesadillas and then just eat the inside. Silly, but true. I can eat a piece of bacon on toast, but I pull off all of the toast and just a few crumbs stick to it. Wasteful.

Try to go without. You'd be amazed. If I can, you can.

Bought my first Victorias Secret bra! I've never been measured, I've always winged it due to not wanting to be embarrassed. I've gone from 350 lbs to my current 225. I still want to get to 185, but I just wanted to share with people who would grasp the gravity of this NSV! I am working hard to get to goal hope everyone is doing well!

I dont know if anyone else is with me, my butt hurts like heck sitting in the tub. I can't go a single minute without turning sideways to relieve the pain.

Yesterday made me 9 months post - op here's what I've learned about myself, the sleeve and life in general
NEVER go without taking your vitamins!!!!
Drink as much Water as you can
I don't have to diet, I just need to eat good food (good for you) and I'll lose
Stalls are natural, normal and necessary for proper, longterm weight loss
I cannot keep a scale in my house (so I keep it in the trunk of my car and take it out on Fridays ONLY)
Restriction can decrease over time if you eat too much, too often
To increase my restriction I intermitten fast 5 days a week and this has kick started my weight loss agaiin
DON'T GRAZE or snack. It's so easy for VSGers to do this because we eat so little in a sitting.
I won't make it to goal 1 year post op...AND THAT'S OKAY
I will not lose weight EVERYDAY, EVERY WEEK or even EVERY MONTH... and that's NORMAL and OKAY
I'll probably have sagging skin and that's waaaay better than a plumpy, fat body
Not telling people about my surgery doesn't mean I am ashamed it just means I like keeping my business to myself
Those whom I decide to tell and react negatively I will not scold them or respond in defense, or even "unfriend" them I will simply live my life and let my happiness and health be proof of my good decision
I can drink coffee
I can drink pop
I can eat sweets
I just choose not to (95% of the time) because that's counter productive
Lastly, I will enjoy this entire process and learn to love myself inside and out, learn to "eat to live, not live to eat", learn to value those who care for and support me no matter my size, and slowly allow the fears I carried on my 350+ pound frame to fall off with every drop of sweat I burn for the sake of my good health, in shaa Allah ( = By the Grace of God)

I absolutely love Christmas and everything it stands for. I love to Celebrate the birth of Jesus and spend time with my family and I have so much to be grateful for. BUT... thank God it only comes once a year! If I had to go through life surrounded by sugar Cookies and pie even the sleeve couldn't save me! Although I didn't do terrible I did discover that peppermint sugar cookies are very yummy and don't seem to affect my sleeve at all... bummer. Love it, glad it's over.

I wouldn't discourage anyone from doing their best with those programs but for many of us it was like a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail:
You must cut down the mightiest tree in the forest with...A Herring!
The sleeve is more like a chain saw.

This is the first year that I can absolutely ignore all those commercials toting the weight loss miracle!! So I bid a fond a due to Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Nutra System, etc etc!!! I feel such a relief that I have turned my life around and have learned to get control of my eating habits that contributed to such an unhealthy me. I am not kidding myself I have a lifetime of keeping myself under control but for the first time in my life it's looking pretty good! I get such a feeling of sadness for those struggling with being overweight and truly wish that this surgery was available to all who wish to turn their lives around. I want to thank all of you on this forum for helping me to reach an 81 pound loss and for the future help to reach my goal. I have my life back and it feels great!!!

I had my surgery June 6th, and I haven't had any Hair loss. I've taken my Biotin regularly, and I've done my best to get my Protein every day. I know that it may sound nuts to many on here, but I truly believe in the law of attraction. I made up my mind before surgery that I was going to have an easy surgery with no complications and no hair loss, and that's exactly what I've had. My surgery was a breeze; I have had no trouble tolerating any foods, and I've never even felt nauseated.

We'll the time has come for me to be sleeved. In 12 hours ill be in the OR being made a new more healthier me. So anxious , excited , nervous and many other things. I want to WISH EVERYONE who has a DECEMBER 18TH date good luck, and speedy recovery. God has our back . And try to get sleep because I know I sure won't be lol.

I was told we're not supposed to take NSAIDS due to the fact that they can cause ulcers in anybody but with our stomachs being so small, there us less room for us to develop an ulcer. We were told we could take it vert, very sparingly but definitely not regularly.

I'm sorry AuriP,
I could not get past this woman's first story. She has a personal axe to grind for whatever reason..
Listen ANY surgery comes with risks but so does living your life morbidly obese.
This woman sounds like an extremist wackadoodle sorry

So I just made this. So delicious and easy on the sleeve. Who knew?! My new favorite! I was leery at first but it turned out great
Slice squash in half
Scoop out seeds
Thinly coat with olive oil and spices
I used garlic powder, seasoning blend, and a pinch of salt and pepper
Place face down on baking sheet
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes
(I think I baked mine a bit more, I like a softer texture)
Scrape out spaghetti squash into a dish
Top with a sauce with browned turkey
Yummo!

Throat punch?
JUNK punch.
Wishing you the best along with a big ass settlement. And I am NOT one for suing, but enough!

Thank you my sleeve sisters and brothers for all the well wishes. I am doing fine and in my room at the hospital. Minimum pain and can't believe I'm a sleever now and on the loser bench. I wish all of those after me a safe and smooth recovery.

I am having my surgery on the 30th!!! I just love seeing the pictures from people who have paved the way ahead of me!!! You are all such inspiration and I hope to be posting pics on here someday too!!!! Thank you for the boot in the ass I need sometimes when I doubt!! <3 <3 <3

Well my first reply would be to ask your husbands qualifications are??
I'm going to go out on a limb and assume he's not your nutritionist..
I can't speak to if you are taking in to much because quite honestly we all have different capacities. Are you overly full? Just because you measure out that much doesn't mean you need to eat it all., but if it just satisfies the hunger without over stuffing then you are on target.
To be safe I would read your post op instructions and make sure your measurements are following their plan. And if they are? You're all good

MississippiQ, you might be sitting in the corner, but your friends are waiting for your timeout to finish so we can go outside for recess.
Ok, stupid analogy, but I am concerned for you and want you to be careful!!!! I also want to see you succeed and graduate from elementary school with the rest of us.

how do I delete this thread? I feel like Im in elementary school & Im standing in the corner.

It's been a while since I posted anything so I thought I would send a quick update. Surgery was 12/13/12 and as of this morning I'm at 119 lbs. (I'm 4 '11 & 1/2 start weight was 246) I can't believe how fast this year has gone by and how much my life has changed. I am truly a participant in life and no longer a spectator. I am proud of how I look, I am confident and healthy. I jump on trampolines with my kids, dance like nobody is watching and run to the car when it's rainy. All things I would have never done a year ago. I've learned so much about who I am and, yes, I'm sorry to say I've learned a lot about who other people are too. In a lot of ways it makes me sad to come to the realization that how you look has such a big impact on how people treat you and even how you treat yourself but I'M HAPPY. Not that "overcompensating funny fat girl happy" but TRULY happy. Today is my 39th Birthday and I remember last year thinking it would be my last fat birthday and I'm happy it was. I am forever grateful for this past year, my incredible surgeon and team at Northwest Weightloss and the support of all of you. As I've heard thousands of times my only regret is I didn't do this sooner. As a wife and Mommy of 5 with a career I never took time to take care of me. THIS I DID FOR ME and I am so glad I did.

The main reason I didn't cheat on my post-op diet was because I was terrified something would go wrong. I was deathly afraid I would be that one person who had a leak or tear out a staple or something. The fear of me having to go back into the hospital outweighed my need to eat food. Just something to think about, because if, God forbid, something does go wrong, you then have to tell your surgeon "well, I was eating this and this" just to hear "you're not supposed to be." It wasn't worth the risk, in my opinion.

Teachamy, I'm having a hard time not eating everything in sight at the moment. It's how Ihave always prepared for restrictive eating to come:/ Joatsaint, I hear ya. I wouldn't be having surgery if I could do it on my own! Did you eat anything you wanted up until surgery?

Every surgeon goes with the system that works for them. Plus, it's kind of a catch 22 - I couldn't lose weight because I couldn't stick to a diet, but I have to go on a diet to lose weight so I can have the surgery to lose weight?????????!!!!!!!!!

I made people stay away, the last thing I wanted was to feel like I needed to entertain someone when I should be focused on nothing but sipping and walking. If I needed help at any time, that's what the nurse call button is for.

Woo happy it's not just me. I'm only eating one egg a day.

wow this is so good for everyone. I to am now a slow loser, lol. I started at approximately 230 and am now 185. I lost the first amount of weight quite quickly, and the last 5-6 weeks maybe 5 or so pounds, but a loss is a loss. I am happy if it keeps coming off. Well done sleevers