LindaS

I've just been far too busy to post an update, so forgive the delay. We didn't just welcome a new baby, we're also still in the midst of an overseas move and life has been both crazy and sleep deprived.
We welcomed our newest daughter Elisheva (Shevi) on 21 March. She was 6 pounds, 7 ounces and 20 inches long at birth. Delivery went as planned without complications. She's absolutely adorable, and she's been a lot of fun for our whole family since her arrival. If only we weren't so busy we'd enjoy this time a bit more! Our twins are adjusting well and my daughter, in particular, hovers constantly just thrilled to be a big sister.
I have mentioned many times that my post-sleeve pregnancy was actually more challenging in some ways for me. I had more morning sickness, I was more tired, I had a great deal of trouble eating, etc. But I can say without a doubt that delivery and postpartum are totally different post sleeve, and I have never felt quite so good this quickly after a baby.
Delivery went very quickly and smoothly and I never needed pain medications afterward. Within two days I felt tired but basically back to normal. Now that I'm twelve days out, the only difference in pre-pregnancy and post is that my body isn't back to normal yet. Recovery was about 1,000 times easier without the excess weight, which I found to be a pleasant surprise.
I've also had a better milk supply than ever before. In the past I've struggled to maintain supply (I exclusively pump as every one of my four has had latching issues and pumping was easier for us) but this time around I'm pumping more than twice what I need each day and I already have a refrigerator and freezer full of milk. Again, this is different than before. I think it's mostly due to me just being a healthier person all around - I drink more Water, eat good foods, take my rest seriously (and whenever I can!) than I was in the past.
As for weight I gained a total of 32 pounds with my pregnancy. My scale is currently packed in a box and I'm in a hotel room that lacks a scale (darn Army lodging) but as of the 28th I was already down 18 pounds. I'm sure when I'm able to weigh again I'll be down somewhere between 22-25 pounds. I am already able to wear my pre-pregnancy 5/6 jeans...but they would have a bit of unsightly muffin top just now so I'm waiting to actually wear them out. Other than that, I'm back to my usual sizes in everything but bras. Those I'll need to special order, apparently!
I'll post some pictures of myself in a few days, but the reality is that even though I feel a bit messy and "loose" around the middle, there is no way I look like I just gave birth less than two weeks ago. If I had some decent Shapewear (again, packed in boxes) I think I'd be able to wear most of my pre-pregnancy wardrobe.
In any case, we're all doing well we're just really busy. We're enjoying Elisheva as best we can with the stressful move, and we can't wait to be settled in our house so we can relax a bit!
Attached are a few pictures of our adorable little princess.
~Cheri

I am 16 months post-op.
1) is it a totally different life style? It isn't totally different, but I have made changes. I have a job that requires me to sit at a computer for big chunks of the day. I recently changed my desk to a stand-up desk in order to help myself move more. I work out (and make time for working out), which is something I didn't do in the past. The rest is pretty much the same.
Do you go out to eat and just eat less, or totally avoid it? ,
I do still go out to eat, and it is something we do pretty frequently both pre and post op. I just make good choice and don't feel compelled to eat everything.
Do you eat differently from the rest of the family?
Yes and no. I can eat the same things my family eats, but I eat much smaller portions. But just because I can doesn't mean I do. I tend to modify my meals. For instance, if my family has spaghetti, I just eat the meat sauce and only a few noodles. If they have pizza, I might eat the toppings off one piece and then have something with Protein in it.
I am still in the weight-loss stage, so I am still drinking Protein drinks for some of my meals. I usually do this when I am working or my family is gone. I sometimes just have a bite or two of something like potatoes.
My eating isn't strange enough that people comment on it when we go out to eat.
Can you do everything physically that you did before?
I can and actually I can do so much MORE than I did before. This summer, we went on a very physical vacation, and I was able to do all of it including a very steep, hilly four-mile hike that I wouldn't have been able to do before my surgery. I was also easily able to go up into a lighthouse, and I think I would have had trouble fitting in the tight spaces before my surgery.
Has your life changed drastically in any way?
No. I am still happily married, employed and mother of four kids.
2) how has your life changed mentally?
Before my surgery, I had this voice in my head that constantly brought me down mentally. It would be the voice that told me I was fat and couldn't do this or that or would notice my butt overflowing the chair I was sitting in and that my waist band was cutting into my belly and how big my thighs were and how hard it was to bend over to pick something up off the floor. I would hear myself breathing heavily when climbing stairs and dreaded seeing someone at that point that expected me to talk too.
After my surgery, the voice in my head shut up. I don't have the negative self talk constantly in my head, and I am happier because of it. I'm quicker to smile and laugh and am not afraid to try something because I'm worried I won't fit.
Of course, the obvious, looking and feeling better. Anything else? I'm more flexible, which can be handy in certain rooms of the house.
Has it been worth it?
Yes!

Thank you!!! My other NSV was walking past lane Bryant and knowing the clothes in there are too big. I had a pair of 14w from there and it gave me massive soggy bottom. 14 pants and xl tops. I almost squealed in the dressing room.

Had to buy new pants. Bought two pairs of jeans in size 14 from the Gap. Felt good buying those. :-)

OK, I just need to rant a little because I am feeling frustrated. I am almost 2.5 years post op and have been pretty much maintaining for the last year. But I have to watch what I eat all the time. If I start to slip, I start to gain. I keep the junk out of the house, and my immediate family is either on board/ don't know any different (I have young children). Where I am struggling is my Mom. Now, don't get me wrong, she was one of my biggest supports when it came to getting the surgery. That being said, she always has food around. I have asked her nicely, begged, and have broken down crying, just trying to reason with her that not everything has to revolve around food. So with this Easter, we did not buy our children many treats, just a couple of chocolate eggs that I knew I wouldn't eat and got them present instead. My mom asked if she could get them some treats. I told her a little bit. Then they show up, and she has bags of candies and chocolates, along with the bag of chocolates and candies that my Grandma gives and refuses not too.
Now I am good at limiting how much my children eat. But me, I am a food addict. I admit it. If it is sitting there in front of me, I cannot resist it. That is why I do not keep anything that I like in my home. I am trying to convey to her how hard it is for me to have all that food around, and she is getting better. But I just can't seem to get it across. I saw one person that they did a coin hunt instead of an Easter Egg hunt, maybe I will have to try that instead. I am not anti-treat. I made a homemade pumpkin pie and enjoyed a piece. I am anti-15 lbs of chocolate for everyone!
Love to hear others experiences and how you have dealt with them.

I just have two more days until I get to start my pureed diet, and I'm greatly looking forward to it. I am very tempted to start early but I'm going to stick it out.
I think I know just how you must have felt.

I'm 5'7 and almost 20 months post-op. I started at 255 pounds, and I am down to 172. I don't tend to count calories -- I count Protein. My goal is 70 grams a day. I eat Protein first almost always, which leaves little room for other things.
My calorie count based on this protein goal is typically under 1,000 calories. Most of the time, it is around 800 calories.
I exercise regularly, and I have a lot of energy. I also have months where I don't lose any weight at all. My blood work has came back normal, but I will have my latest results April 8, which is the day before my 20 month surgiversary.
To get over 1,000 calories, I need to make bad choices. Those choices usually involve carbs (potato chips or popcorn) or liquid calories. If I keep protein first, I do well.

My doctor told me to stop using the scale. Try taking photos and measuring as well. Although you aren't seeing changes in the scale, it doesn't mean change isn't happening.

I am day 6 and started to justify chocolate. Seriously. It reduces to a liquid, which is my rule for right now. I've lost my mind. You're not alone, but don't do it again, k? I won't, either. Deal.

I am 16 months post-op.
1) is it a totally different life style? It isn't totally different, but I have made changes. I have a job that requires me to sit at a computer for big chunks of the day. I recently changed my desk to a stand-up desk in order to help myself move more. I work out (and make time for working out), which is something I didn't do in the past. The rest is pretty much the same.
Do you go out to eat and just eat less, or totally avoid it? ,
I do still go out to eat, and it is something we do pretty frequently both pre and post op. I just make good choice and don't feel compelled to eat everything.
Do you eat differently from the rest of the family?
Yes and no. I can eat the same things my family eats, but I eat much smaller portions. But just because I can doesn't mean I do. I tend to modify my meals. For instance, if my family has spaghetti, I just eat the meat sauce and only a few noodles. If they have pizza, I might eat the toppings off one piece and then have something with Protein in it.
I am still in the weight-loss stage, so I am still drinking Protein drinks for some of my meals. I usually do this when I am working or my family is gone. I sometimes just have a bite or two of something like potatoes.
My eating isn't strange enough that people comment on it when we go out to eat.
Can you do everything physically that you did before?
I can and actually I can do so much MORE than I did before. This summer, we went on a very physical vacation, and I was able to do all of it including a very steep, hilly four-mile hike that I wouldn't have been able to do before my surgery. I was also easily able to go up into a lighthouse, and I think I would have had trouble fitting in the tight spaces before my surgery.
Has your life changed drastically in any way?
No. I am still happily married, employed and mother of four kids.
2) how has your life changed mentally?
Before my surgery, I had this voice in my head that constantly brought me down mentally. It would be the voice that told me I was fat and couldn't do this or that or would notice my butt overflowing the chair I was sitting in and that my waist band was cutting into my belly and how big my thighs were and how hard it was to bend over to pick something up off the floor. I would hear myself breathing heavily when climbing stairs and dreaded seeing someone at that point that expected me to talk too.
After my surgery, the voice in my head shut up. I don't have the negative self talk constantly in my head, and I am happier because of it. I'm quicker to smile and laugh and am not afraid to try something because I'm worried I won't fit.
Of course, the obvious, looking and feeling better. Anything else? I'm more flexible, which can be handy in certain rooms of the house.
Has it been worth it?
Yes!

Haha! yes I'm going to get my ass moving on the Protein and Water. Thanks for saying that:)

My mother-in-law had sleeve surgery last October, and she has lost more than 50 pounds. She just reached "onderland" (Under 200 pounds), and she started at 255-ish range. She is about 5 feet tall. She has more energy and stopped taking her blood pressure meds.
I was sleeved just a couple of weeks before my 40th birthday, and I've lost 83 pounds so far (sleeved August 2011).

You mentioned you lost a significant amount of weight in 10 months and that you had plastic surgery.
When was your sleeve surgery and when was your plastic surgery? I was initially thinking that if you lost that much weight that quickly, you might still be adjusting mentally. But having plastic surgery made me think you had lived at the smaller size for a while. If I consider you might have fast tracked all of that, I would guess you were at your heavier weight just two years ago. This makes me think all of the changes are a LOT to process, and I am not surprised you are unsure of yourself.
What I suggest is that you take photos of yourself now. I also suggest you look at your photos from back then. Compare them. Analyze them. See how much progress you have made. In your current photos, take pictures of you with other people too -- especially people that you might have been photographed with in your larger size.
This can help put things in perspective. I know that seeing myself in pictures lets me see things I never see when I look in a mirror. I think it can be even more helpful if you can do it wearing clothes you wore in your before pictures or next to objects from your before picture. It lets you see how much is missing now.
Good luck! And I am so curious about your complications from losing weight too fast.

I use to frequent this site a lot and was a very active member. Due to some stressful life events, I took a long break to focus on those things. During this time I've only been able to lose a few pounds and I've realized I cannot do this alone. I need to get back on track here and at mfp. I miss the friendships I made here and am so glad to start fresh and hopefully run into those who helped me on my journey. I've lost a total of 106 pounds since surgery..12/27/11 and have about 55 pounds left to go to reach my personal goal..33 to meet drs goal. I really need the support and companionship of people who know what I'm going through. It's a tough world and everyone just doesn't understand what we have been through.

Anyone else get those looks or reaction when you tell people you are having surgery the " can't you just diet regularly" . I get so frustrated, I really feel like just saying" yeah I'm gonna take the easy way out instead because I don't want to diet" . Seriously this is one of those times you want to tell them walk in my shoes! I've always been heavy, fought all my life with yo-yo dieting and I finally decided to take action that requires actually MORE work than regular dieting! Sorry had to vent!

That family obviously has issues. Don't let it bother you. It took almost 50 pounds until people noticed my weight loss. It was hard! But you're doing great and everyone will notice soon! Ignore that family- how rude!

I am 5'7" and when I got to the 185 range, I stalled for several months. I did start losing again, and I am now down into the low 170s. I sometimes still stall, but as long as I keep on track, the weight eventually comes off.
I had my surgery August 2011, and I am trying to reach 155.
It does get harder to lose the closer you get to goal.
Linda

I am 5'7" and when I got to the 185 range, I stalled for several months. I did start losing again, and I am now down into the low 170s. I sometimes still stall, but as long as I keep on track, the weight eventually comes off.
I had my surgery August 2011, and I am trying to reach 155.
It does get harder to lose the closer you get to goal.
Linda

This is a little rant.
I went to my doctor 1 week out for the routine post-surgery check. She was talking about my daughter's wedding, and she said, "you are going to look so good for her wedding!" I replied, "what do you mean? I look really good now!"
I am a beautiful girl (my husband tells me this everyday!). I was before the surgery. I am now after surgery - over 50 lbs lighter. I realize that I look "better". I do. But this surgery isn't a guaranteed fix to everyone's self esteem. If you had really low self esteem before surgery, losing weight may or may not fix it. If all of your self esteem issues were related to your weight, then maybe it will. If you have been skinny before and had low self esteem issues then...chances are you will have self esteem issues after your weight loss. Unless you work on fixing them!
At my heaviest, I always knew skinny girls that I had more confidence than.
You are beautiful, too! In all honesty....this forum is loaded with beautiful girls at all sizes. No matter where you are in the weight loss journey, embrace who you are at this moment and take a minute to feel beautiful and amazing. Don't wait until all the weight is off before you start loving yourself. Do it now.
That is all.

Yep. It happened. By far, my best NSV so far.
I was pulled over today for failure to use my turn signal. I handed him my info and he stood there looking confused but didn't say anything. (This happens a LOT when people see my license which was at my highest weight) he walks back to his car without saying a word and a couple mins later another patrol car pulls up. They both get out, talk for a minute and walk over to my car....long story short, they thought I provided 'false identication to a police officer' I explained that I have recently lost about 80 pounds and dyed my hair. Luckily I had my passport in my glove box, and the photo was taken a out half way to goal.
I was given a 'fix it ticket' which states I have 10 days to report to my SOS (or DMV as it is in most States) for a new photo, or pay a fine. No ticket for the turn signal though

How does this time compare to other times you've tried to lose weight?
How many pounds lost are you averaging in a week? 4.5 pounds a week.
That's awesome. Don't get discouraged -- find other things to compare your loss to.

I took naked pictures in the bathtub for my boyfriend..and I kind of liked what I saw!
Yes it is my NSV and I like it!!!
Plus I am totally sex crazed at the moment..boyfriend refuses to give it up! I keep telling him I am fine but he insists on waiting 6weeks...
He is a knucklehead..okay my work here is done.

I'm only 3 weeks out, but today was a day of reckoning for me in my closet. I've had clothes I bought a while back I had planned to get in to, but never did, we're talking 2-3 years ago time frame. I bought some really nice Ralph Lauren shirts, and some boot cut jeans, not the relaxed boot cut either, wife loves my butt in them. I also had an awesome Magellan button down shirt I got on clearance at Bass Pro, always wanted to wear the shirt on the lake fishing but could never fit in to it. Today I was curious. I started with the jeans. Size 42. I sat on the bed and slid one leg in, good so far, the other, and then all the way up. I have room in them. They're now belt pants, meaning if I don't wear a belt with them, folks will be getting a free show anytime I walk without pulling them up. I was stoked, wife was pleased as well. I do have a pair for 40's in the closet I may have to try on next week.
To the shirts. I have a nice collection of dress shirts. My mom used to always buy me custom monogrammed taylored dress shirts when she was alive. Today I tried on 5 of them, only 1 fit. The 4 that don't look like Amur the tent builder made them, they're huge on me. I can fit myself, and my 9 year old in them with room. The one that fit was a 3XL dress shirt. Guys know, a 3XL dress shirt is like a regular 2XL as undoubtedly they run small. My favorite pin stripe dress shirt will have to go though, sadly. I loved that shirt.
I'm looking forward to some more clothes fitting, but I'm afraid of wanting to hang on to the old clothes, at least maybe the shirts. They just have meaning and history in them. Perhaps I'm just too sentimental. The pinstripe shirt stays, no doubt. The others though, they may go to charity soon.

Ha! He took about three "glances" at me and my picture ID before questioning if I was a relative using the wrong ID. Nope, just 140 pounds less of me...