longer-life

Hey Jamie - glad you found the forums! There aren't too many of us who have had leaks on here, outside of who has posted already I can think of peacequeen and tiffykins. I hope they make their way here also and give you some insight. It is rough, don't be afraid to ask about antidepressants if you need them - my doctor was willing to give me a temporary prescription. I tried to do some other things that made me happier, started reading books again, funny ones, no sad ones. And getting in to a routine as much as you can helps too. Are you working while this is going on? If not, even just getting out and meeting friends for a drink (water is everywhere) or walking around Walmart and seeing other people helped me. If your program has a social worker/psychologist, see if you can talk to them or get a referral.

That's awesome! Glad you have a healthy ticker!! Was worried there for a bit. And hey, just because you had a burger and fries doesn't mean you aren't perfect. You are! A half a burger is not a whole burger, and I am sure the fries were not the extra large fries we all used to get! And the best part is you enjoyed it!! That's awesome! Too many times we get down on ourselves when we really shouldn't. I had a handful of Peanut Butter M&M's today. I started to get down about it, but then I realized "when was the last time I did that?" I couldn't remember, and I know I won't do that everyday. It was a treat.
Anyways, congrats on being healthy! We are all grateful for you!

Did the old closet clean out today. Many of my old shirts that got shoved back because my girth rendered them too small moved back to the choicest hanger positions. The large belly compensatory shirts were summarily terminated and are now in Goodwill bins where many of them came from in the first place.
It was nice having my old friends back, bringing back memories of things I did and abilities I had before bodily expansion caused our separation and exiled me to the realm of the sedentary.

Yecats,
please don't feel that you are doing something wrong or that you aren't gonna win this race, because you WILL.
I am 19mths+ now... in the first 4weeks, I lost pretty much the same as you. There will be times when you see your weight bounce all over the place and that is ok... that is what our bodies 'do'. You will also see a drop soon too... might be tomorrow or next week but it will happen. Also, if you haven't I urge you to take your measurements as these will 'show' you how much smaller you are getting. I didn't do this until about 2mths out when I had already lost 21lb... this is a real motivator when things slow down, as they inevitably will!
Also, and I feel that this is really important (well, at least to me) I have NEVER, EVER lost more than 7lbs on any given diet at any given time... and that includes when I was young and just overweight as well as older and morbidly obese. My sleeve has, without doubt, save and changed my life... and even though I am not at 'goal' per se, I see myself in a more positive light each day.
Try to relax, go with the flow, follow your post op diet and enjoy this rollercoaster... getting to the finishing line will be just as sweet whether you sprint, jog or walk... and to be honest, the scenic route is rather beautiful... =]

Worst : Taking all the Vitamins and the weight stopped "falling off" easily after only two months.
Best: Months of happiness, hopes and dreams.

Worst : Taking all the Vitamins and the weight stopped "falling off" easily after only two months.
Best: Months of happiness, hopes and dreams.

thank you all!!!!!! you all have motivated me again I use to be a size 22 and now a 13 so I need to chill lol. I need to plan my meals again and have a work out schedule and not let this depression get to me.
I guess I compare myself to all 4 people that I personally know in my family and a friend who had the gastric bypass but they all weighed approx 300-400lbs and in a year they lost over 100lbs. I am different because they were bigger than I and I had the sleeve. I do not regret the sleeve at all. I am happy with it!
so today I will start up again.. I am rereborn!!!

I really hate joining threads like this, but Kim - you've shared your story. You've posted an alert to people you might have wanted to warn. At this point you seem to be in a spiral of defending yourself against total strangers on the internet. There's nothing to gain in that. People will believe you, or not, but either way no one is gaining anything. At some point, the best thing you can do is say "OK" or "I agree to disagree" and walk away.
Advice is only advice before the deed is done. After that, it's criticism. In much the same way, sharing your story is spreading information, but after a point, what's the point?
Visit a different thread, give your blood pressure a break, and enjoy your time here.

I understand why you would stop, life throws us so many curve balls. You've done great so far, it's a journey and it doesn't end, it's a lifestyle so you gotta keep going! 30lbs- you got this! Stay strong and set mini-goals, it really helps

This is off topic but just wanted to tell you how great you are doing! The amount of weight you have lost is insanely awesome. Congratulations!!!!!!!!

I love reading intelligent dialouges and discussions. I don't have any input to this thread as I'm still learning and I have not been sleeved, but it has been a real eye opener. I'm struggling at this moment with my pre-op diet and have had some of the same questions floating in my head that you have addressed. Thank you for sharing Crosswind.

I weighed a little under 400 lbs for a very long time. I was in my early 20s the last time I was at my goal weight. Girl, you got me beat on the 6" heels. I can go about 3.5" before they just hurt too much. Plus I'm a hair taller than 5'10 so can you say Amazon?
Anyway, with my lapband I got close to goal. Close enough that it seemed doable. Here are some of the other things I suspect you might enjoy, whether you're actually thinking about them or not. If you feel nervous, focus on these. Maybe it will just make you more nervous, but it's working for me.
Every hesitate going somewhere, or purposely avoid, or try and scope it out ahead of time, because you're afraid the chairs will have arms and you won't fit? That will become a thing of the past. And the first time you sit at that booth and realize not only is your stomach NOT being cut by the table, but you actually have room to spare, it's all gonna be sooo worth it.
Do you ever (like every day) beat yourself up because you know you should be doing something about your weight, but aren't? Imagine the first time you can stop yourself mid-thought and realize I'm freaking doing it.
Have you ever lost the weight, or part of it, before? Have you done it again and again? I can lose weight, no problem. I cannot maintain weightloss. I go from a state of losing, to a state of gaining. Stop thinking about the weight you're going to lose, and start thinking about the weight you're never going to have to lose again. See the difference?
One day, probably sooner than you think, you're going to be walking somewhere and pass in front of a window, and for a split second you're not going to know who's in your reflection. You might even think something kind of strange like, "Oh, weird, that girl has my same skirt on..." before your brain can process that it IS you.
You're going to feel very proud of yourself when you leave food on your plate. It's an odd sort of "atta boy" to your ego. Of course, your wait staff will just think the food was bad, or that you're trying to impress someone. F em.
You're going to find some happy discomforts. Like maybe the way you sit in your car, if you prop your left knee against the door, you're going to realize that knee bone is hitting in the door and it hurts. But around the same time, you're also going to realize you can get your seatbelt on, even if you're wearing a coat, and still be able to move.
One of these days you're going to have your hands crossed and it's just going to kapow hit you how slender your fingers are. And around that time, your shoes are going to start sliding off your feet. We forget about things like our fingers, feet, ankles...
Oh, and do you get cankles if you sit for too long? That tends to go away too, or at least really really lessen.
That bump in your chest that might freak you out? That's a bone. You're gonna have a lot of 'em. The first time I saw my collarbones casting a shadow on my chest? Hmm what did I do, actually... probably strutted around like I was a skinny minny.
Now, no nerves, only smiles.

Congratulations!!!!!!! I LOVE your big goals!!! Go get 'em!!!

Where do you get these? What brand? Thanks for reminding us about Eggface. I love her Breakfast bites. Need to go there for more of her recipes.

Hi All,
Do you recognize me?
Yep here i am. for the past few days i've been in onederland - didn't want to tell you earlier, cuz i was afraid my weight might creep up slowly and gain back into the 200's. Well its been a few days now
its official, i'm in onderland to stay - the only place for me now is to go down hill
kathy

I have read this entire thread over the course of the last couple of days. I just joined 30 seconds and the very first thing I wanted to do was leave a comment on this thread letting everyone know how wonderful I think you all are for sharing your answers to this question. It's actually the very first question I ask anyone who I know has had the surgery! Thanks!! :wub:

I didn't have a pre-op diet and I just started exercising very leisurely and I have lost the same weight as you. I could have easily lost another 11 pounds if I exercised vigourously and had a pre-op diet like you did. Those extra 11 pounds would have put me at 50 pounds.
We don't all lose at the same rate, we didn't all start at the same weight, we don't all have the same size stomach, some had complications so they lost more while recovering etc. It is absolutely possible that some people have lost 50+ pounds. What is unbelievable to me is that you called others liars without taking those things into consideration.

Thanks everyone for the great advice & feedback!! I'm actually on my way to the ER now to get checked out. I'll keep you all posted!! (:

Yo, crosswind -- what's ya goddamn hurry?? You're doing great and are on the right track for you (and for me, honestly -- we are following a very same approach and I've also lost 90 lb in a year, and I also eat 1500+ cals per day), so why suddenly get antsy and dip your toe back in the waters of diet OBSESSION? Not. worth. it. Stick with what you're doing, be patient FFS, and you'll get there!! :-) Don't go mental on yourself, don't mess with the success you are having and will continue to have just for the sake of being impatient. Bad trade-off IMO.

I had to go shopping this past weekend for new jeans because mine were getting saggy in the crotch..lol When I started my journey I was a tight size 26 jean and now I fit into a size 20 comfortably...holey moley!!!!!!! I have lost 60 pounds and counting. Stil have a long road, but there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Great Job! I too, have just gotten into a size 16, and xl shirts. I went threw all of my stuff, and got rid of all the 2x and size 20 pants. All thats in my closet now is size 16 and xl, normal sizes. I was sleeved 12/12/11 and have lost 50 pounds, I have 50 more to go, and I love to spot a person, that I don't know, that looks like they can use some help, and than ask them if they would like a couple of bags of clothes, some with tags still on, and they almost always start to cry, thats my little pay it forward.

Thanks for all your replies....VSG sure has made my life turn a 180 degrees. I feel like a new person everyday and look forward to everyday. I think I have stopped 'existing' and begun 'living'.

As many of you know, my weight lately has been hanging around the same number. I broke into the 160's about 5 weeks ago and stayed at 169 for three weeks, then dropped to 166.5 and have been there for two. It just seems like this stall lasted longer and was immediately followed by another stall. I was feeling a little down yesterday when I realized it was time to measure. I measure every two weeks. Lo and Behold I am down 2 inches in the hips and one in the butt and also a half in my thighs! IN TWO WEEKS! No weight change either. Baffleing. I even measured twice. How can this be? I dont know but I will take it. I guess all that zumba and walking with a weighted vest is paying off. I will be smiling all the way to gym tonite!
My big celebration for today is that I am wearing a size 10 jeans for the first time in 22 years or so. I havent been this small since before I got pregnant with my first child at the age of 22. WOW. Tears of joy. I may not be able to wear all size 10 jeans but by golly I am wearing these! They dont have a lot of spandex either. Very little in fact. I also bought a size 10 blazer and it fits well in the sleeves and all! OMG! I was a size 20 when I started this so I guess I am half my size! I am almost in single digits!!!!! WHAT???? Somebody help me to comprehend this! I am doing this! I love my sleeve!

Hi Longer-Life,
Thanks! People often tell me that I look like different ethnicities. I've gotten just about everything imaginable. I love it! I'm actually bi-racial. My father is African American and my mother is Caucasian. I love the diversity. Pictures can be deceiving too. I'll have to post some more.
It looks like you are half way to your goal. That's awesome!

I second what SweetP and SleeveDreamer said. Just wanted to make sure your surgeon said that was the cause of the pain. Feel better soon!