2bfit

You know it's funny I am down almost 50 lbs but I still see the fat person in the mirror. Well! Not anymore!
Yesterday after church I went to the store while the family waited in the car. I walked in and there is this man making a bee line towards me. He walks up to me and says, "Well, hello beautiful" I stop and look around to see who he is talking to but he was talking to me! I couldn't believe it! I told him, "Well, thank you! You just made my day!" He replied, "No, thank you, you made mine!"
Wow! I was glowing when I came out of the store. It has been so long since a guy, other than my husband, has paid any attention to me. I forgot what it felt like.
I sure do love my sleeve! :wub:

You know it's funny I am down almost 50 lbs but I still see the fat person in the mirror. Well! Not anymore!
Yesterday after church I went to the store while the family waited in the car. I walked in and there is this man making a bee line towards me. He walks up to me and says, "Well, hello beautiful" I stop and look around to see who he is talking to but he was talking to me! I couldn't believe it! I told him, "Well, thank you! You just made my day!" He replied, "No, thank you, you made mine!"
Wow! I was glowing when I came out of the store. It has been so long since a guy, other than my husband, has paid any attention to me. I forgot what it felt like.
I sure do love my sleeve! :wub:

You know it's funny I am down almost 50 lbs but I still see the fat person in the mirror. Well! Not anymore!
Yesterday after church I went to the store while the family waited in the car. I walked in and there is this man making a bee line towards me. He walks up to me and says, "Well, hello beautiful" I stop and look around to see who he is talking to but he was talking to me! I couldn't believe it! I told him, "Well, thank you! You just made my day!" He replied, "No, thank you, you made mine!"
Wow! I was glowing when I came out of the store. It has been so long since a guy, other than my husband, has paid any attention to me. I forgot what it felt like.
I sure do love my sleeve! :wub:

You know it's funny I am down almost 50 lbs but I still see the fat person in the mirror. Well! Not anymore!
Yesterday after church I went to the store while the family waited in the car. I walked in and there is this man making a bee line towards me. He walks up to me and says, "Well, hello beautiful" I stop and look around to see who he is talking to but he was talking to me! I couldn't believe it! I told him, "Well, thank you! You just made my day!" He replied, "No, thank you, you made mine!"
Wow! I was glowing when I came out of the store. It has been so long since a guy, other than my husband, has paid any attention to me. I forgot what it felt like.
I sure do love my sleeve! :wub:

You know it's funny I am down almost 50 lbs but I still see the fat person in the mirror. Well! Not anymore!
Yesterday after church I went to the store while the family waited in the car. I walked in and there is this man making a bee line towards me. He walks up to me and says, "Well, hello beautiful" I stop and look around to see who he is talking to but he was talking to me! I couldn't believe it! I told him, "Well, thank you! You just made my day!" He replied, "No, thank you, you made mine!"
Wow! I was glowing when I came out of the store. It has been so long since a guy, other than my husband, has paid any attention to me. I forgot what it felt like.
I sure do love my sleeve! :wub:

You know it's funny I am down almost 50 lbs but I still see the fat person in the mirror. Well! Not anymore!
Yesterday after church I went to the store while the family waited in the car. I walked in and there is this man making a bee line towards me. He walks up to me and says, "Well, hello beautiful" I stop and look around to see who he is talking to but he was talking to me! I couldn't believe it! I told him, "Well, thank you! You just made my day!" He replied, "No, thank you, you made mine!"
Wow! I was glowing when I came out of the store. It has been so long since a guy, other than my husband, has paid any attention to me. I forgot what it felt like.
I sure do love my sleeve! :wub:

I will be married for 17 years in March. Our marriage was great before the surgery and even though I was heavy I still had a pretty decent "drive" so that part of our relationship has never suffered. I guess I am one of the lucky ones in that respect.
Now that I am down almost 50 lbs, there is an even greater "drive" I do not feel self conscious during the act anymore. I actually feel, well, beautiful for once. Having this surgery was the best thing I have ever done for myself.
I have so much energy and I am so much more positive now. I am sure all of that makes me even more attractive to my husband. He never treated me any differently before but I do see him appreciating me more now. He is a guy after all and they are visual creatures.

Well, speaking from a guys point of view, my sex life has increased dramatically. Not to be too graphic here, but there are things we couldn't do before that we are able to do now, kind of like the honeymoon all over again. My wife was very supportive of my surgery, and now we are both working out together so even that has improved our relationship. We encourage each other more now as we support each other in our weight loss goals. It is actually very exciting. I can see how it can be a little nerving though. I am 6 foot tall and actually carry my current 263 pounds fairly well. (Ugh...I hate to say this next part for fear of everyone thinking I'm "all that", because I know I'm not and never will be...lol) I have had a few ladies in the office start with the flirting that I hadn't seen before. While flattering, I am focused on my beautiful wife. She really has been with me through "thick and thin", pun intended. She deserves the very best, and not that I am the very best husband, I just try to be.
Anyways, that is how the sleeve has effected my life with my wife. I wouldn't change it for the world. I have seen a positive change in all phases of my life and I thank God for that!

I had 2-3 ounces of beer one evening and got buzzed! No other side effects - except I was thirsty.
I had the same experience when I sipped 1 or 2 tablespoons of fine tequila. The world became a wonderful place full of lovely people. I am officially a cheap drunk.

Hi all!
So today was the great weigh in after my 2 week hiatus and as of today I am 8 weeks post op. I am down 28.8 lbs! Big ol' happy dance in progress! Surprisingly I lost about 7 lbs while on the road traveling. I thought I was going to come home weighing the same amount as when I left. I did way better than I thought. Jerkey and string cheese were my best friends while traveling.
I am able to eat quite a bit more and I am able to get my fluids in finally. I struggled with Fluid intake the most I think from day one. Some days I am able to eat more than others and some days I have to remind myself that I need to eat. While on vacation I did indulge in a couple of bites of things I should not have. But I used my sleeve to control myself whereas in the past I would have stuffed myself into oblivion. I made the commitment and I plan on sticking to it. I think people have the impression that the sleeve will keep you from wanting to eat things you shouldn't. Not the case. It helps you take control. As long as you understand that you will do well.
The only downside is my clothes are falling off of me, my skin is starting to sag a bit (not being able to exercise while on the road didn't help) and I am always cold. However! These are things I can definitely live with! While we were on vacation I was told that I looked like a model and my husband told me that he is officially married to the hot wife! WHOOOHOO!
I am so happy I can barely contain myself. I would do this again in a heartbeat!

Wow thats great! Congrats! Im currently 1wk post ops and ive lost 15lbs.

You know I thought about going outdoors but it was 27 degrees out. Definitely not a fan! I would have had polar bears chasing me!

Congratulations! You have almost the exact same results as I did at week eight - and I did some traveling too. Isn't it great to have loose clothes and hear compliments! So happy for you!
Whenever we travel I try to find a place to go hiking. You should have seen me in Phoenix in the 100+ degree summer. The vultures were circling overhead. lol

Hi all!
So today was the great weigh in after my 2 week hiatus and as of today I am 8 weeks post op. I am down 28.8 lbs! Big ol' happy dance in progress! Surprisingly I lost about 7 lbs while on the road traveling. I thought I was going to come home weighing the same amount as when I left. I did way better than I thought. Jerkey and string cheese were my best friends while traveling.
I am able to eat quite a bit more and I am able to get my fluids in finally. I struggled with Fluid intake the most I think from day one. Some days I am able to eat more than others and some days I have to remind myself that I need to eat. While on vacation I did indulge in a couple of bites of things I should not have. But I used my sleeve to control myself whereas in the past I would have stuffed myself into oblivion. I made the commitment and I plan on sticking to it. I think people have the impression that the sleeve will keep you from wanting to eat things you shouldn't. Not the case. It helps you take control. As long as you understand that you will do well.
The only downside is my clothes are falling off of me, my skin is starting to sag a bit (not being able to exercise while on the road didn't help) and I am always cold. However! These are things I can definitely live with! While we were on vacation I was told that I looked like a model and my husband told me that he is officially married to the hot wife! WHOOOHOO!
I am so happy I can barely contain myself. I would do this again in a heartbeat!

Have you noticed, toss the bun is pretty much universal from everyone that has posted? If you want to have a bun, ask for it extra toasted (crispy) and still chuck most of it. Protein, protein, protein! I rode my motorcycle the Sturgis rally in 2010, 8 weeks after I was sleeved. I was miserable because I was so unprepared.I satyed 2 nights and came home (1300 miles each way). Good luck on your trip, you are going to do great!

Take a cooler and I would opt for hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese, ready to drink shakes, cheese, greek yogurt, meats and some crackers. You are too fresh out for things like Protein Bars. ALso try Fast food burgers(no bun), KFC grilled chicken and mashed potatoes, Grilled chicken and refreid Beans from any mexican place. Wendy's chili or their grilled chicken wrap (ditch the tortilla) There are lots of choices. You should be able to find something almost anywhere. Also McDonalds will sell you scrambled eggs ala carte. That with a half of an english muffin (extra toasted) is a really good breakfast. Fruits and veggies probably still give you some problems so I would stay away from those. Also have some Gas-X (or the store brand equivalent) on hand for in the car when your stomach gets gurgley.

About 2 years prior to surgery I started working out on a regular basis. Last year I also began the Couch 2 5K program. Absolutely amazing and I even ran 3 miles by the end of the program. I learned to love running. There is something about it that I just can't explain. Only problem was the whole time I was running I "thinned" out but only lost about 10lbs. My feet and heels were the first to be affected then eventually my knees so I stopped. I figured I had tried everything and I finally decided that I was darned if I do and darned if I don't. That's when I made the decision for surgery. I am about 1 1/2 weeks post op (down 14lbs since surgery) and have been walking since New Years Day. Today I did a very light run on the elliptical. I see my skin starting to get saggy so that is a major motivation for me. The doctor has released me in 2 weeks to start running again. I will use the same program again. I fought so hard to be on the losers bench that I will do everything in my power to make sure I stay there! I am really anxious to feel the difference losing some weight will have made on my running performance. I don't doubt that it will be way easier!

Today is my official 4 week post op. I have had some up and downs but I am happy to report I am down 18.4lbs!
It has been an amazing journey. I am having to learn about my body all over again. The only time I have regretted this surgery is dealing with the Constipation and occasional nausea. But I think I am finally getting a handle on both. And trust me the "regret" was tiny compared to how happy I am that I have made this change for myself! There are times I have forgot that I actually had surgery. I don't know how to explain it. I thought I would "feel" different but I don't. Aside from the mental note that my stomach is much smaller than it used to be. The only time I remember about the surgery is when I sit down to eat. It's so hard to describe. I am happy that I am finally able to drink more liquid without such an effort. That's a definite plus!
I am also having a hard time with artificial sweetners. They leave a really bad taste in my mouth. I used to have them in my drinks all the time. It's interesting how your taste buds change. All the things I think I would like leave me unsatisfied.
I had to buy a pair of sweatpants (I am buying cheap until I lose more) and I am in a large 12/14! Before the surgery I was in a tight 16! My husband keeps complimenting how great I look. He says my face and eyes look so bright. He even called me his tiny dancer! I never thought I would hear "tiny" used to describe any part of me! Best part is, I am only a month out! I can't wait to see how he reacts when I get to my goal weight!

Hi All
I am so excited to report that I have been finally approved for the sleeve through Highmark BCBS! I was initially denied in August, appealed and denied again. I then filed an external appeal through an independent review organization and finally found out today that they overturened Highmarks decision. Yay! I did mega research in writing my appeal letters to substantiate my case, but it was worth it. I can wait until tomorrow to call the surgical coordinator to see when I can have a surgery date.
Lisa

2bfit, how very wonderful for you! Happy 1 month sleeve-a-versary!! You're doing fabulous - ohhhh tiny dancerrr... LOL

Glad you are doing so good and it sounds like you have had relatively few complications which is always a good sign. I am sure your hubby's compliments not only reflect your body changes but also your attitude changes. Losing weight gives us energy and lifts our spirits. Congrats and keep up the great work!

Mrs. Tiny Dancer,
I think the compliments from our hubbies mean the most- at least to me! That is sooo great and I am so happy for you!

Today is my official 4 week post op. I have had some up and downs but I am happy to report I am down 18.4lbs!
It has been an amazing journey. I am having to learn about my body all over again. The only time I have regretted this surgery is dealing with the Constipation and occasional nausea. But I think I am finally getting a handle on both. And trust me the "regret" was tiny compared to how happy I am that I have made this change for myself! There are times I have forgot that I actually had surgery. I don't know how to explain it. I thought I would "feel" different but I don't. Aside from the mental note that my stomach is much smaller than it used to be. The only time I remember about the surgery is when I sit down to eat. It's so hard to describe. I am happy that I am finally able to drink more liquid without such an effort. That's a definite plus!
I am also having a hard time with artificial sweetners. They leave a really bad taste in my mouth. I used to have them in my drinks all the time. It's interesting how your taste buds change. All the things I think I would like leave me unsatisfied.
I had to buy a pair of sweatpants (I am buying cheap until I lose more) and I am in a large 12/14! Before the surgery I was in a tight 16! My husband keeps complimenting how great I look. He says my face and eyes look so bright. He even called me his tiny dancer! I never thought I would hear "tiny" used to describe any part of me! Best part is, I am only a month out! I can't wait to see how he reacts when I get to my goal weight!

Could it possibly be the onset of the flu? It's that time of year. I'm concerned because this doesn't sound normal to me. If you're not dehydrated there might be a problem. If you're still battling this in 24 hours I'd make a call to the nurse for sure. I'd rather waste their time than have a major issue!
I hope you get to feeling better soon. And don't ever feel like you shouldn't call your nurse for help - you had a major surgery done and if you have a question they are there to ease your mind.
~Cheri
P.S. No only do we have the same name, but our starting stats/goal are pretty close! I'm 5'1" and started at 242, with goal at 135 pounds. You're going to do great!

Hi everyone. Please don't jump on me for what I'm about to say. If I'm wrong, let me know tenderly
Yesterday I had a follow up appt with my surgeon. In his waiting room I met this lady who had surgery 3 years ago. She dropped 75 pounds the first year and has stayed there ever since. She is still approximately 50-60 pounds overweight. I did not ask her anything about why she stopped losing weight but she volunteered the information, I guess she felt like she needed to justify something to me. These were her words, "well I just eat whatever now, and don't over do it". "well I knew I was never going to be a model or anything so I'm happy where I am". EXCUSE ME?????
First of all, I'm going to be really pissed if I still haven't made it to goal in 3 years. I'm working very hard to get my weight off and I'm not going to settle for not making it to goal.
Second, she stated "well I knew I'd never be a model". Well why the H*** not??? I might never be employed as a model but I darn sure want to look like one if I have the chance! And the sleeve has given me a chance.
Am I crazy??? or should we be working this thing as hard as we can?? I hope I NEVER settle for anything less that the absolute healthiest and fittest I can be. I hope you all don't either.