Lissa

I also will eat a banana on the way to the gym if I'm not up to a protein bar. It's just enough carbs to get me through my workout usually. When I hit that wall where I feel like I'll never climb over, it affects my workout for DAYS. Dragging myself through one workout makes me dread going back to the gym, so I try to never leave myself in that spot.

How long ago were you sleeved? Do you notice that the pain is worse or better after any specific activity like drinking, exercise, walking, laying down? Have you had similar pain before or before surgery? Do you lift weights? I hesitate to offer any advice because I don't know any of the above, but, here goes. If you're newly sleeved and the pain starts right after you drink, slow down on your drinking by taking smaller sips. Shoulder pain was my early full signal. If it's worse/better before or after any activity, then either stop or continue that activity. If you're lifting weights, you might have possibly injured your rotator cuff. Look up or ask your trainer for some specific exercises to do to strenthen the rotator cuff. If you had similar pain before surgery, it could be related to whatever caused that. If all else fails, call or go see your doctor.

I try to eat a protein bar right before I go to the gym. Also, if I don't get my B12 in every day, I notice that I'm much more fatigued. I take a sublingual B12 daily...I think it's 5000 mcg.

That awful feeling probably IS acid. Are you taking an acid reducer? If not, you should definitely talk to your doctor about getting one. When I have what I call "hungry days", I usually buy a bag of beef Jerky and nibble on that. I also save my once a month serving of cheetos for that particular day. I'll admit I still have a love affair with chocolate, but I'm much better about it now. I've been working out since surgery, starting very small and working my way up to my current routine (6 days a week, 5 days of cardio, 6 days of weights). I attribute the fact that I have muscle and definition to working out and it's definitely helping with the skin. I'll still have some saggy skin, no matter what, unless I have plastics, but it could be MUCH worse than it is right now. You should know that working out (for me) seems to slow down the weight loss on the scale, but boy does it pay BIG benefits in losing sizes, in flexibility, and in ability to move and work during my long days!!!

I'm proud of you for "coming out", too! It sounds like it was the perfect decision for you and that's what counts! I think the stigma attached to WLS will only go away when more of us are proud of it. I'm still amazed at how many people I know that have had WLS and I never knew before my own surgery. I really wish they'd have said something to me much earlier. Good luck! I'm betting your friends and family will support you more than you expected!

Without knowing a WHOLE lot more information, it's hard to know what to tell you here. I'd suggest talking to your doctor about the tenderness. It could be anything from a pulled muscle, to a hernia, to your appendix or gallbladder. I'd call the surgeon's office, just to eliminate any worries about it being sleeve related, but I'd probably make an appointment with my regular doctor unless you've just added strenuous abdominal exercise to your routine. Good luck!

Congrats!!!

Good advice above. You could just say you're on a restrictive diet under a physician's care (you are) and that you want "this time" to be successful. If your family members are the type who will talk about you, then let them. If you don't make an issue out of it, most people won't even notice a difference in your eating habits. That's been my experience. Wait staff are the only people to notice how much/little I eat, except for my workout partner. She didn't notice until we went out and a waitress asked if my food was okay after I pushed the plate away. If you're up, moving around and helping with dishes, etc., as someone above suggested, no one will notice anyway, I think. You will find a way to tell them eventually, probably after they all notice how fast you're losing a bunch of weight.

I go out with friends a couple of times a month with no problems. I either order from the kids menu or split with someone. Of course, all my friends know about the surgery, so no problems there.

I know! You're not having enough patience. The stall usually starts around 3 weeks and can last a couple of weeks. It's just your body adjusting to your new eating habits. Give it some time and you'll be amazed at your results!

I'm glad I didnt' see mine, but I had a similar comment from my WLS. You're gonna love your new, tiny, sleeved tummy!

August 30 is my one-year surgiversary. Congrats to you both on your dates and I'm so looking forward to seeing your journeys unfold!!!

pretty-pink, I didn't start formally "working out" for a month or two after surgery. What I did do was start walking immediately after surgery, first up and down the hallway in my apartment, then around the small end of the apartment building, then the big end of the apartment building. About 3 weeks after surgery, I managed to walk around the lake in the apartment complex, which might be 1/4 mile. I felt like Rocky that day! I also started lifting 2 pound weights about 10 days after surgery. I'd literally do 10 reps each of biceps curls, front arm raises, triceps extension and skull crushers with those 2 pound weights. Once I got up to 100 reps of each without pain, then I switched up to 5 pound weights, then 8, and now I do 25-50 pounds depending on the exercise and I do those on machines/dumbbells. I started on the recumbent bike at 5-10 minutes daily, working my way up to 30-45 minutes a day. I added in the elliptical about 2-3 months ago, starting at 2-3 minutes at a time. Now I do at least 30 minutes of cardio daily, plus weights and stretching. Pre-op, I couldn't walk from the front door to the car without being out of breath. Since surgery, I've had more energy than I know what to do with most days. If you're just starting an exercise program, start small and add in little bits as you get better. There's no need to run out and start doing an insane program or join a gym immediately post-op. You need to develop a base level of fitness that you can build upon and add a little more as the workouts become too easy. IF you want to see real workout gurus here, look for Lil Miss Diva, PDX Man, Keno, Mass Index, and Blackberry juice. THOSE people were my go-to exercise gurus and I still look for their posts when I have fitness questions. Me? I'm an amateur. Despite my exercise program, I still can't do the treadmill well, and walking outside is not high on my list of things to do. I have arthritis in my knees, so I'm always looking for low impact workouts. Zumba and other fitness classes are not for me. There are tons of people here who have added them in and are doing even better fitness-wise than me.

Tryan, I still eat from saucers at a year out. I should truly donate my big plates to Goodwill or something because they never get used now. A "normal" plate of food for me is 4 ounces of dense Protein and a very small serving of cooked veggies. I cannot imagine myself sitting down to what I considered normal pre-op! One of those plates would probably make 5-6 meals for me now! I decided I wanted spaghetti a few days ago. When I went to the store to buy spaghetti noodles, ALL of the boxes seemed hugely big to me. I'd be eating spaghetti forever and a day. So, I bought a tiny can of spaghetti and called it good. When I heated it up, it turned out that spaghetti is disgusting to me now. At least I only wasted 68 cents instead of having a box of spaghetti hanging around until I could find someone to give it to.

I have been accused of being a workaholic in the past. Now, I'm a work-out-aholic! I get jittery and nasty when things interfere with my workout routine. I want to go to the gym every day and I find myself putting the gym time ahead of everything else. My workout partner and I have had scheduling conflicts that have made me miss a few days here and there, so I've started going at 6am daily. Whether she's ready and willing or not, I am up and gone to the gym. I've even made keeping a gym bag with workout clothes, towel, etc. in my car a priority. What's worse is that I now know the location of every branch of my gym for over 150 miles of my regular travel area and I'll drop in to work out at a location if I have more than two hours to kill. I've become pretty good at getting into the gym, working out for half an hour, showering, getting back into work clothes, and out the door with a minimum of fuss. Yes, my friends are at a loss at the "new me". Pre-op, I wouldn't walk the length of the mall. It was even hard back then to breathe when walking from the front door to the car. Now, I'm the one with all the energy and the "Let's go do something physical" attitude. What a difference a year makes... and, yes, I know that I'm nuts.

Red, I'm a year out and 112 pounds lighter. I feel completely normal now, except for only being able to eat smaller amounts of food. VSG saved my life. That is my story and I'm thrilled with the results now!

My pulmonologist was concerned that rapid weight loss would lead to deterioration of my heart muscle because of the lack of nutrients and Protein in many people's post WLS diet. He was rabid about reminding me to stay at or above my protein goal and that I should take my Multivitamins, even though he doesn't believe in Vitamin supplements for most of his patients. He really didn't want me to have WLS before I did it, but I've managed to make a believer out of him. My labs are perfect. My body fat analysis showed him that rapid weight loss after WLS does not have to destroy the heart muscle and he actually told me that my EKG is "sexy" when compared to last year's pre-op EKG. Getting the protein and Vitamins in post WLS is super important to prevent damage to the heart. According to all the medical tests I've had, I've improved my heart muscle, which is even more important than better biceps, skinnier jeans, and lower numbers on the scale to me.

Once again, Star is right on the money!! You will always have a tool to help you control your portions, but what makes up those portions is up to you. My weakness is cheetos, so I control that urge by allowing myself a single-serving bag of them once a month. That's what works for me. Other than that, I don't keep them in the house. For me, the first six months were rocket-like as far as weight loss. I dropped weight like crazy. At about 7 months out, I hit a plateau, which was a weight that I stayed at for nearly 10 years on my way up the scale. My weight loss, in pounds, slowed way down. BUT, once the weight loss slowed down, I started shape-shifting. I can almost watch my body change from week to week, and my measurements and clothes sizes reinforce that. I started in a 24/26 and I'm now in a 14/16. I'd be in a smaller size pants, but I have a bit of a tummy still. One thing that really affects how fast I lose pounds is that I got really serious about exercise. I have muscle and definition in places I didn't know I could have muscle and definition before. I had a body fat analysis at my doctor's office recently and it shows that I am within .01% of the amount of muscle I should have in my body for my height, even though my BMI is still in the obese category. That means that I am converting fat to muscle with exercise and that I've managed to protect my heart muscle from significant damage from rapid weight loss. That was a major worry of mine. My pulmonologist is also thrilled with my improved cardio fitness. The sleeve is a tool, but if you work it right, you'll be able to reach goal and to reach goal in a healthy manner. After all, it's not just about the pounds; it's also about enjoying your life and all of the newfound abilities that come with weight loss. If you're not sure what I'm referring to, please visit the "powder Room" and "Man Room" forums here on VST! Good luck on your journey!!

Hi, Lima! First, welcome to VST! You've made a significant choice for yourself in finding a place for information and support. There is a search bar at the top right of the page where you can search the forum for answers to tons of questions. It works best if you go to the home page and then use the search bar. I use it a lot when I have questions in the middle of the night. Now, to answer your question, NO, you will not be the only person to have VSG and not lose weight. Immediately post-op you won't be able to eat junk. You should be doing a pre-op diet of some kind and that will help you to remove the big bad stuff from your diet, i.e. sugar, caffeine, empty carbs. Your early post-op diet will likely be liquids for several weeks, then adding in soft foods slowly to give your new sleeve time to heal. There will be no room in the diet or in your sleeve for junky food, and you won't want it. I had to detox myself from several things during my liquid diet, including diet soda, caffeine, sugar, etc. The pre-op diet seemed tough, but I didn't even like sweets by the time I got out of the hospital after my sleeve. My tastes changed significantly post-op, and very little of that stuff appeals to me now. I'm more likely to drool over raw broccoli than over the dessert menu these days! LOL I should add that Rex, my sleeve, doesn't really like raw veggies at almost a year out. I can eat 2 or 3 small pieces of raw broccoli and I'm full. You will learn what works for your sleeve over time, but you will not be able to eat the quantities of food that you ate before. There's simply no room in your new tummy for junk. I still see food as protein or not protein, and I usually choose the protein food over the non-protein food. . I eat pretty much on a schedule these days because I don't often get hungry. If I actually get "hungry", it's because I've gone way too long without eating and that's when I'll make terrible choices. Your experience may be similar to mine, or you may want to talk to someone to help you get through mental issues with food. I saw a therapist to help me with my relationship with food, and I think it's pretty normal now. I believe that most people who need WLS have mental issues with food that need to be discussed with a pro. Lots of us, me included, used it as a crutch to help us deal with our problems pre-op and may need to talk to someone to learn new coping skills post-op. I used to "eat my problems" pre-op and comfort myself with food. Cross-over addictions are common. I'm working to make mine exercise! Now that I've rambled, let me say again, you will lose weight with your sleeve! Your body will have no choice but to give up the pounds! You'll be eating so little that weight loss is inevitable to start. The sleeve is still just a tool and you'll have to do the mental work to use it properly. I suggest that you start using some kind of program to log your food. I like My Fitness Pal for logging my intake and I use it in conjunction with a Fit Bit to help me track my steps and exercise every day. You will start taking baby steps now and in a year you'll be amazed at how much your life and body have changed!!! Good luck on your journey! I'm excited to watch you transform yourself!!

Star, That's the perfect answer!! I'm thrilled to see others working to remove the word "Only" from weight loss, too! Deana, At less than 2 weeks post-op, your body is still working hard to get rid of the gas and fluids that were pumped into you for surgery. 9 pounds lost is awesome, especially considering how much Fluid is pumped into us during surgery. You also lost a significant amount pre-op, which can slow down your initial weight loss, not that 9 pounds isn't fantastic in two weeks! It is!! One thing I've noticed is that some of us start out a little slower than others, but we're all at similar amounts of weight loss a few months out. It's like it levels off. Folks who begin with higher BMI's tend to drop big amounts of weight right out of the gate; those with lower BMI's "seem" to lose slower. But if the weight is coming off, who cares? This is a journey for each of us to a healthy weight. It's NOT a race. "Slower" losers have less loose skin, usually, which is a bonus, IMO. You just keep working your plan and you will be amazed at your weight loss! Be prepared for the 3 week stall, which is coming right up. You won't lose anything for a week, maybe more, but it is because your body is adjusting to the new, lower, amount of food you're putting in it. But, that 3 week stall usually breaks in a dramatic way. Mine lasted a couple of weeks and I walked out of a pants size during it! I've found that I lose inches during stalls. It's a great idea to take your measurements now and keep track of them. When you hit stalls, you can measure yourself and see if it's a true stall or if it's just your body reshaping you. Good luck!! You're gonna rock that sleeve!

CoolBreeze, I started out exactly where you're at! You'll be amazed at how fast your fitness level improves!

This journey is about you...and it SHOULD be about you! You're doing this for yourself, no matter what your mental motivation pre-op. Afterwards, once you see the success you'll have (no Maybe about it), then you'll start internalizing the journey. Don't let ANYONE else rain on your parade. YOU are worth doing this for yourself. I'm actually getting positive feedback from the pre-op naysayers and some of the people who encouraged me the most pre-op have turned into green-eyed monsters. I have to be 100% on my own side because no one else understands the mental and physical changes I'm seeing and dealing with right now. YOU will lose weight, at least a bunch. The final pounds will depend on you, but this is almost a magic bullet right out of the gate. Will it take time, work, and a lot of effort on your part? You betcha it will! But, YOU will do it!!! Good luck! You got this one!

I'm definitely proof that muscle weighs a lot. I have muscle in places I never thought about it before surgery and it shows, along with all the loose skin I have. I had an appointment with a personal trainer to change up my routine recently. She came prepped with a mild, beginner's routine, but quickly found out that I needed something much more challenging. We're still refining what my routine, but it was nice to surprise her. By weight, I'm still obese. By ability, I'm not.

You should both be on an acid reducer if you're not taking one already. Acid can mimic hunger, especially this early post-op. Your tummy is still making acid for the massive stomach you had before. It will calm down once it realizes there's no need for all of that acid, but it takes awhile for it to get the message. I drank a lot of broth during my liquids stage. It soothed my tummy, gave me a little Protein and went down better than almost anything else. Good luck!!

I have no tips on handling the revision, but wanted to wish you all luck. Sept 12th is my birthday, so you guys are getting sleeved at a great time! I'm a week shy of one year out and I am loving life! Good luck!!