Lisa :)

You didn't gain actual weight....as stated above, it's all fluid and it takes some time to lose it. I was 8 pounds heavier when I came home from the hospital and within a few days it was gone plus more. Remember, this is a journey. You will not lose all the weight you want over night. Be patient and kind to yourself and "live in the process" because it's an incredible journey!!!

I was sleeved on 11/9/11 and was asked by my surgeon to give it up for 6 months. I just starting drinking it again about 2 months ago. I only drink one very weak cup of coffee each day now as opposed to the 3 or 4 cups I used to drink.

I was 8 lbs heavier the day I cam home from the hospital.....the 8 lbs + more was gone 3 days later. Hang in there!!!

I had buyers remorse in the initial stages post op but I would do it all again in a heartbeat!!! There are also certain foods that I just don't tolerate very well (like salad) and I really miss them at times!! But the payoff is worth it and I just have to remind myself that I don't need to be emotionally attached to food.

I workout/train (for triathlon) 6 days a week. I swim, bike and run 2 times each week and then I do strength and core workouts 3 days a week. So, a typical week would look like this: Monday: Bike 60-90 minutes (@ 18 mph) Tuesday: Run 3 miles + strength/core Wednesday: Swim 45 minutes (about a mile) Thursday: hike/run on hills + strength/core Friday: OFF Saturday: Brick workout - Bike 60 minutes then run 2 miles Sunday: Open Water swim in ocean or bay (about a mile) + strength/core Now, it took me months to get to these workouts. I started with just doing a walk/run and only biking about 20 minutes. I've always been a very strong swimmer so that part has been pretty easy. I love triathlon training because it gives me variety in my workouts and I'm less likely to get injured (which would make me stop) because I'm using different parts of my body each day.

I've lost 110 and I want to lose 40-50 more (I think). I will definitely want a tummy tuck once I'm at goal for a while. I also have some excess skin under the arms but I'm going to wait and see how all my training and working out effects that!!

Thank you so much everyone!!!!!

I hit the 9 month mark last week and a friend sent me a picture she took of me after our morning run. It was so weird...I kept looking at the picture, thinking, "I almost look normal!!!" This journey has been so amazing!! It hasn't been easy but it's been totally worth it!!! For more than 10 years I pondered the idea of WLS. I told myself over and over again that I "should be able to take the weight off on my own". I was one of those people that thought having surgery would be a cop out. I could not have been more wrong!! The initial stages of post op were torturous for me. I remember feeling like I was going crazy at about the 3 week mark. I just wanted to chew something and I wanted to kill my family!! LOL!! I had to mourn my love affair with food...probably the hardest thing ever. Now that I'm past all that, I am here to say that my life is 1000 times improved and the NSV's are endless!! I can fit into a booth at any restaurant now!! I've stopped snoring and no longer have to wear a mouth guard in order for my partner to sleep!! I've completed a triathlon and am doing 2 more in the next 3 weeks!! My plantar faciitis is gone!! I can walk up a flight of stairs and I like it!! Shopping for clothes is fun again!! But the biggest NSV is that I finally feel like I have a "normal" relationship with food!! It no longer controls my life...I no longer live to eat, I eat to live. So, here are my pics. The first one is from a cruise I went on in Nov 2010...I was at my heaviest weight and I was so uncomfortable!! In November of this year I'll be going on another cruise and I'll be exactly 1 year post op. I'm looking forward to taking the same picture!!

I'm 9 months out, down 108 pounds with about 50 to go. My weight loss is slow...about a pound a week but I'm still losing!! I'm super active because I've been doing triathlons and I train a lot. I currently take in anywhere between 1400 and 2000 calories a day. I know that when I don't get a least the 1400, I stall. The body is like an engine....you have to feed it fuel in order for it to burn!!!!

Syntrax Nectar Cappunccino is my favorite....I drink it twice a day every day....I pour it over ice and it's just like having an iced coffee. It's yummy!!

I don't know that I "eat what I want" because if that were the case, I'd be eating Big Macs and Burrito Supremes LOL!! But when I feel like I need some chocolate, I eat a little chocolate. When I feel like I want Cheez-Itz, I go and buy a small bag of Cheez-Itz...I don't deprive myself of anything because I don't want to live on a "diet" for the rest of my life. Plus, my sleeve just won't tolerate a binge...Thank god!! I actually feel like my relationship with food is more "normal" than it's ever been! I do notice that when my carb intake is up, I lose less. Like you, my weight loss has slowed down at almost 9 months out...but I'm okay with it!! I absolutely LOVE my life now!! I'm doing triathlons (which accounts for my carb cravings much of the time) and I feel great!! I sometimes have to remind myself that I didn't have surgery to lose a certain amount of weight. I had surgery to feel better and to be able to do the things I wanted to do....My goal has already been accomplished!!!

Regrets?......YES, but just one. I regret not doing it sooner!!! My life is 500 gazillion times better because of my sleeve!!!!! Every part of pre-op and post-op nutrition is difficult....but totally worth it!! Just remember that the difficulty is only temporary but benefits of surgery are not!!!! Good Luck!!

I've been training for my first triathlon. Triathletes are very prone to chaffing. You can use an anti-chaffing product such as Body Glide. It comes in a stick like deodorant and you but it wherever you need it!!!....and it works GREAT!!!!

I had to wait 3 weeks.

Gastrectomy has been performed for many, many years on cancer patients. I chose the sleeve because of my desire to compete in triathlons. I was worried that if I had gastric bypass I would not be able to fuel my body correctly and/or take in the additional carbs needed when exercising for long periods of time. I am soooooo happy with my choice!! Sure, there are times when I wish I could eat more, or eat something that I know won't agree with my sleeve....but, I wouldn't change a thing and I'd do it again in a heart beat!!!! I love the new life I'm living and ill be doing my first triathlon in 4 weeks!!

Sorry, I didn't see your last sentence I'm doing Tom Holland's sprint training plan from the book "The 12 Week Triathlete".

I am doing a sprint. I'm actually signed up for three sprints this year! I'm hoping to set my sights on Olympic next year! I eat about 5-6 small meals each day and I'm taking in about 1400 cal per day on average. From everything I've read, the need for a lot of fuel during a sprint isn't really necessary. It's when you get into races that are over 3 hours where you need to re-fuel consistently. In terms of food and fluids. I can eat between 3 - 8 oz of food at a time...it just depends on the type of food. I can gulp Fluid with no problems at all. I currently take in about 1 gallon of fluids a day.

I was sleeved on November 9th and started walking and jogging 3 weeks after surgery. I started a formal training plan for my first triathlon about 8 weeks ago...my first tri is on June 24th!!! The MAIN reason I chose the sleeve was so that I would be able to properly fuel my body. I knew that if I had bypass, that might be a challenge. I have absolutely no problems drinking large amounts of fluids when needed and I consume more carbs than my surgeon recommends because I need them for fuel...and I'm still losing weight just fine!!! I know there are a few other people here that have done triathlons...hopefully they'll chime in too. Good for you for setting an athletic goal!!! And yay for choosing a tri!!! I love my traing workouts and can't wait to finish my first one!!

Unfortunately, they are a slider food for me....along with ALL chips. So, I must stay away from them all, otherwise I could eat them all day!!

Hang in there!!....I think we've all had "buyer's remorse" at some point early post op! If you think you're dehydrated then you need to call your dr or get to urgent care or the ER....dehydration is the #1 reason patients end up back in the hospital. I agree with the Popsicles.....they helped me so much!! I also drank a lot of chicken broth at my dr's suggestion because the salt helps you to retain fluids. Just do whatever you can and know that you will get through this!! I still have days where I feel frustrated that I can't eat certain foods and days when my sleeve is not very tolerant. But I wouldn't change a thing!...the benefits far out-weigh my frustrations

I had started walking about 1 and 1/2 months before surgery and then started back up at about 3 weeks post op. I hike up hill, so that first week back at it really took everything outta me!! I would suggest that whatever it is you do, take it slow and work your way up gradually. Most injuries occur because people take on too much, too soon. You're also more likely to burn out that way too. Most important thing....find an exercise that you enjoy. If you don't enjoy it, you won't likely stick with it. Good Luck!!!!

So, I'm almost 6 months out. I've been breezing along all this time with NO issues whatsoever. I was taking a PPI for the first 3 months post op per my surgeon's direction and then I moved to using it "as needed". Well, a few days ago, I started experiencing some acid reflux....so, I took my PPI. I'm now on day 4 and everyday it's just gotten worse and worse. Today it has been just excruciating!!! It hurts when I drink water!!! I called my Dr's office and they are ordering an upper GI which I'll probably have done next week. I'm going worst case scenario in my head now (which I know I shouldn't do), worrying that I might have a stricture. I'm trying not to freak out but it's hard when everything that goes down hurts....and then about every 15 minutes I get these waves of pain where it feels like someone is ringing out my esophagus like wash cloth. Has anyone else experienced REALLY, REALLY bad acid reflux that is not alleviated with a PPI?...and what was the outcome?

I hardly even felt it....and I was terrified it was going to hurt!!