DazyKrazie

You can go to Chipolte and just ask for one taco. It is a perfect serving! Does anyone use their weight loss surgery card at restaurants?

Congrats to you!! That is awesome!! I am thrilled to death for you and can't even imagine what that must feel like! I hope to meet you soon!

Tracy

Thank you for the comments. I wrote this post for anyone who felt like I did. I secretly hated my sleeve in the very beginning. I thought that the beginning was going to be my new normal and I could not handle that. I just want the newbies to know that it does get better. Since this is an elective surgery and you have to convince your family and friends this is the right thing for you, you really don't want to tell them you hate it once it is done. You basically have to keep those feelings to yourself, which is what I did. I want to thank you all for the kind comments! It meant a lot!

Tracy

This has been the best week EVER!! We put our house on the market Friday and sold it Saturday, but that isn't even my best news! This Monday was my 7 week surgiversary. It was on Monday that I saw the scale hit 199! I couldn't be more happy and excited. Everything with the sleeve is finally starting to fall into place. I have to admit, that I had buyer's remorse for about the first 4 weeks. It wasn't till I hit week 5 that my attitude started changing. I was seeing results, I was able to eat and drink more, I could eat and drink without having those bubbles going up and down my chest and throat. I was starting to feel normal. My doctor took off all food restrictions and maybe that is what changed me mentally and emotionally. If I had written on here earlier than 5 weeks out, I would have advised the newbies to think twice and hard about this. I would tell them to try one last time before going this route. Now, I am a total advocate for the Sleeve. It is literally changing my life and I no longer feel like I am missing out on food or anything else. I feel like I am gaining so much more. I started this journey at a 22/24 and only shopped at about 3 stores. They were always Lane Bryant, Macy's and the Avenue. That was about it for me. Now I am in 18's, maybe even 16's by now, and starting to shop in stores that are not plus size. That is beyond amazing for me.

I went to Disneyland yesterday, and after spending the entire day walking around, I jogged back to my vehicle with my daughter. She wanted to race me. Before, I would wait in the parking structure for my husband to come pick me up, instead of walking to the car. That is a minor little thing, but I see a thousand minor little things happening with me lately. I just want the newbies on here to know that I questioned myself everyday before the sleeve and everyday after. I had regrets, I didn't want to live the rest of my life without enjoying food and social occasions where food is such a huge part of it. I felt like I was missing out when I went out with my family and friends and co-workers. I don't have any of those feelings anymore. It is a complete turn around. I love my sleeve. I love my restriction! I love eating whatever I want and losing weight still. I do eat what I want. I get my Protein in and I am good a lot of the time, but I also treat myself and don't beat myself up over it either. I want to eat what normal people eat, but just less of it. I can do that now.

I found out from my family doc that my highest weight with them was 241 lbs. That means, I have lost a total of 42 lbs. in this journey. I have 58 lbs. to go. That doesn't even seem possible. If anyone is having doubts either before or right after the sleeve, hang in there. I needed time to heal and I wasn't patient during that early stage. I love my new normal. I don't feel deprived anymore. A weird thing for me now is to watch other people I know and love eat. I keep my mouth shut, but I can't even believe how they shovel it in and how MUCH they eat!! I would feel like a hypocrite saying anything to anyone. I did the same thing just 7 weeks ago. It is crazy to watch people eat after this procedure.

Today after 42 lbs. lost, I FINALLY had someone come up to me and ask if I was losing weight. It was my principal. She has no idea about my surgery and is the first (non-knower) that noticed. I was so HAPPY! Everyone that knows I had surgery tell me they totally see it. What is funny is the people who don't know, don't say a word. Even though I don't like my boss much, I loved her today! lol

I thought I would add a before and after. Bummer, I just looked at them and I can't tell if you can tell how much I have lost. Sometimes I see it, sometimes I don't at all. I ALWAYS feel it in my clothes. There is no denying it there. I hope the newbies hang in there and realize it does get better if you have doubts. I am a testament to that! Good luck to all!!

Tracy

P.S. to my So Cal Friends.....since I coudn't be there Saturday, the before and after are for you guys! Hopefully next time!

This is my first challenge! My problem is I am only 6 weeks out and I don't understand how I lose yet. So many stalls and ups and downs, that I just haven't figured this all out yet. I have no idea how to make a goal, but I will guess! Plus, July 4th weekend I am going to a wedding on the beach in Laguna. I would love to wear a cute sundress to it!

SN..............Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal

DazyKrazie.....239.................205............180............25

Way to go and CONGRATS!! That is awesome!! I am 5 lbs. away from that same success. It feels like I will never get there! So many darn stalls!!!!! Yay for you!!!!!!

I am only 6 weeks out today and my FAVORITE place to go is Yard House. I order the lettuce wraps. I have yet to eat the lettuce, but the filler has been perfect for me. It is chicken, tofu, pine nuts and delicious! Then I put a peanut sauce on it. It is all cut up in teeny tiny pieces and has been easy for me to eat during my mushies stage. I have been there a million times and I don't share it! lol The reason is, I take a few bites of it, get full and eat it for lunches the next 3 days. That way I have something to take to work. I don't know why, but it has just really hit the spot for me and is my favorite thing right now. Very high in Protein. The calories are high, but it includes parts I don't eat, like a couple of their other sauces and the shell that it is in. I skip all that! Try it!

Hi,

Today I met with my surgeon for a 5 week post-op check up. I am happy that I have lost 31 lbs. total and also broke my stall. I am only 8 lbs away from Onderland! Looking forward to that!!!

I asked my doc a few questions and I was wondering what others experiences were with these questions.

1. I have no idea how many calories I should be eating. I asked and they told me that I don't need to count calories or carbs! I should only look at fat grams and sugar grams and make sure they are under 5 grams. And of course, I should look at Protein and it should be as high as possible. Hmmmm I thought that was interesting.

2. Advil! They told me I could not take Advil....... Tylenol only. I finally had my cycle this week. Most all of my cycles are quite debilitating. They always have been and Tylenol doesn't even scratch the surface for pain. Do your doctors advise against Advil? If I knew I could never ever take Advil again, I would have thought twice about this surgery. They told me never to take it again. I thought it was just while my stomach was healing.

3. I have a horrible sore throat and cold coming on. I love my Nyquil for just that. They told me no Nyquil. Anyone have experience with Nyquil after the sleeve?

4. They released me to eat all foods. I am so excited I can eat salad! Did anyone have trouble when they started eating Fiber again? They told me that in the beginning to eat it only at home, it can go right through you. Anyone have problems with salads at first?

That is basically it. I did find out my bougie he used is a 32. I have no idea what that even really means. I knew I wanted to ask though, because I hear you all talk about it on here. I need to research that a bit more. Time to educate myself on that!

I hope someone can offer some experience and advice! Thanks!

Tracy

Congrats!! Great pic! You look so happy!

I am almost 5 weeks post op. The scale hasn't moved for me since my 2nd week out. Luckily with pre-diet and a week post op I lost 30 lbs. This week I wore a pair of jeans and all day I was tugging and pulling them up! I came home and wiggled my hips and they fell to the floor. I couldn't believe it. Today I wore a pair of khaki capri pants. Once again I was pulling them up ALL DAY! I came home again and wiggled my hips and to the floor they fell!! I showed my husband my new trick both times. It is pretty funny. Not ready to buy new clothes yet, so I guess it is time to invest in a belt! My family likes to tease me with the song, "Pants on the ground, pants on the ground. Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground!"

Tracy

Wow! You look amazing and your story is very inspiring to me. I am just starting this journey and that is exactly what I needed to hear! Congrats to you!

I have PCOS, but I am not sure how it will affect me yet. I am only 4 weeks out. I do know that I feel a little PMSy right now. ALso, I could go a year with no period or usually once or twice a year, but low and behold the morning of my surgery I started! I was in SHOCK!! Now 4 weeks later, I am wondering if I am actually going to start again! So weird!

HI Dana,

I watched your blog. I wanted to respond, but last time I did, it went to my FB page and I freaked out. I didn't know how it did that. My FB peeps don't know I had the surgery, but I think I caught it in time that probably nobody saw it. It was weird, your video just popped right on to my profile page! Strange! Anyways, I just wanted to say, that I have been in a stall for weeks now. Since my 2nd week out of surgery. Monday was 4 weeks for me since surgery. I keep bouncing around between 210 and 213. It is so beyond frustrating!! I have been anticipating the 3 weeks stall and have been trying to just go with it, but now I am starting to lose my mind, because it is lasting sooooo LONG!! Week 2, 3 and 4 is just way too long! Also, I also have PCOS and I am wondering how that all works. Weight loss has always been hard for me with PCOS. So, I just don't know what to do anymore. I know my one weakness is getting my 64 ounces of Water in. Protein, no problem! Oh well, I have to look at the big picture. 30 lbs. in 4 weeks is pretty good. I couldn't do that without this surgery. I just thought this whole process would be even faster! Like at least a pound a week. I hope we break our stalls SOON!! Tomorrow is my birthday! All I want is to wake up and see 5 lbs gone! lol best gift ever!

Congrats!! That is awesome! I tried to get in with Dr. Suh. He didn't take my ins. I was so bummed!!

Right before they wheeled me into surgery, I asked my surgeon how many sleeves he had done. He told me 7 or 8! I kinda knew that would be his answer. When I met him, he said he hadn't done many, but he had done thousands of WLS and tons of them were bands. He told me the sleeve was easier and if he had done a thousands bands, he had done a thousand sleeves. So, that is the answer he gave me. Wasn't sure what to think of it really. Also, for my surgery, he had to have another surgeon in there to proctor him. He was new to the hospital I was at and that was why. You have to have a proctor for your first several surgeries.

You and I are in the same boat! We were sleeved on the same day. I haven't broken 210 yet. My normal days are 212, 213. I have read everything I can on these stalls. I keep telling myself that this too will change, but it doesn't!!! When I first hit 210, I was SO EXCITED!! I was thinking I would be in Onderland by the next week! Then reality hit hard and I never got under 210! Some days I will even be 214. I don't see how it is possible since I haven't had more than a few bites of anything for weeks. Oh well, let me know when your stall breaks. Wishing you lots of luck! It is beyond frustrating. I knew about stalls, I just didn't think they would last this long!

Thanks everyone! Good ideas. The only idea I would never do is the spa. Not sure I will ever go to one again. On our honeymoon we went on an Alaskan cruise. We played the Marriage game and won. Our prize was a couples massage. This was my first ever. We get to the spa and they send my husband to the mens locker room to change into a robe and me into the ladies. I get in there, put their robe on and it wouldn't go all the way around me. I couldn't even go out there in it. I totally panicked. I was beyond humiliated. I got dressed back into my clothes and found my husband. In tears I told him what happened. I ended up just going to our massage room, changing there and getting under the covers. That was my first and most likely last visit to a spa. One of a million reasons why I ended up with the sleeve!

Happy Belated Kim! Thanks for sharing your experience!

Next Wednesday is my birthday. I will be in my 5th week post-op. My husband told me he has a special night planned for us. I asked him what, and he told me we were going to a nice dinner in Laguna. Ay-yi-yi!!! Restaurants hold ZERO appeal to me and in fact, have been a bit hard on me mentally. I can't eat but a couple of bites of anything and I am done. Then I sit and watch the people I am with stuff their faces on what used to be my favorite foods! It is just still difficult at this point. Then my friends all told me they want to take me out to eat for my b-day! My co-worker group of friends all want to go to Happy Hour like we do every year for everyone's birthday! Should I just go along with everyone to be "social" and watch them enjoy eating while I sit there holding in burps and listen to bubbles go up and down my chest, or what?! I have noticed that everything social seems to be centered around food. The funny thing is, honestly, I can't think of anything to do that isn't centered around food! That is just been our way of life forever! Going out to eat to Celebrate my birthday just seems like a bad idea for this year. I know there will be a time when I can eat more easily than I do now. It just isn't at 4 1/2 weeks out!! Any advice?? Anyone?

I feel like I am struggling more than most people on here mentally. I here so many people saying they LOVE their sleeve. I am way better that at first loving it, but I am in my 4th week out and have been in a stall for 3 weeks. I had lost 29 lbs. but I even gained 3 lbs. during this stall. I feel like I prepared myself for this stall and read everything I could on here about stalls, but this week, it is starting to get old. I feel like I might not be the success story I was hoping to be!!! Yes, I am getting my Water and Protein in. I know I can't eat this little and not eventually lose. Trying to be patient!! This site is a life saver!! I read all I can on here every single day!!!

Oh that must have been so frustrating that you stalled at 200!! I can't wait to Celebrate Onederland! COngrats on breaking the stall! Yours was 10 days, mine is going on 3 weeks!!!

Congrats!! I am soooooo happy for you! We had our surgeries a week apart and I have been in a stall since the 2nd week of surgery. This is my 4th week. I am trying to just go with it. I have read EVERYONE'S posts on here about stalls. I was anticipating it and when it came, I wasn't surprised. Now, everyday, I am starting to lose it a bit. I keep reminding myself that this will pass, but it isn't. It is going on 3 weeks now. That is almost the entire time since my surgery! I hope I break this stall soon and fall in love with my sleeve like you have. Congrats on the WL! You look great! 37 lbs. this quick is HUGE!!!

You look great! I also loved hearing that you had an "What have I done to myself" moment in the hospital! It is just what I needed to hear! Luckily with each passing day, that feeling is less and less. Congrats on your success!!

I slept on my stomach in the hospital. I had the worst gas and when I slept on my stomach it went away. I was scared to do it. The doc and nurses saw me in that position and never said a thing. I have been sleeping on my stomach ever since and every night. I was very careful at first to lift myself up to roll over and then just lay down once I was in the position I wanted. It won't hurt a thing, even though, I was imagining my stapled stomach poking whatever is around it!

My surgery was March 14. I am doing pretty good physically in every way. It is the mental stuff that has been difficult for me. I am down 30 lbs. as of today. I was at a stall for awhile, so yesterday, I tried to up my eating. I had a cheese omelet in the morning, then a Protein Shake, then grits in the afternoon and another cheese omelet at night with tons of Water. This morning when I woke up, I broke my stall and have lost 30 lbs. Pretty excited. I ate more than ever and that is what made the scale move. Weird! Monday I went to Disneyland for the entire day. That was okay, no problem really. They have toddler meals and I ordered that. It came with applesauce and milk and that was all I needed. I was exhausted all day yesterday. The drinking is so much easier. I can take pretty big double gulps. This morning I ate all but a couple of bites of my omelet. The first time I had one, I could only have a couple of bites before I was done. I am starting to do a bit better mentally. I never gave that part of it much thought. I just figured I knew and I could deal with it no problem. It is a different story when you are living it. I have gone through major feelings of buyer's remorse. I am kinda mourning some of my favorite meals and eating with my family like I used to. Now that I am able to eat and drink easier, I am starting to feel better. Monday I go back to work. I hope I am ready for my 25 kinders!! They are exhausting on my best day!

I am 9 lbs. away from Onederland!! That has me so excited I can't even believe it!! It was college since I have been there. I am 40 years old! I figure when I put away my winter clothes, I will pack them up for good. There is no going back and I know by next winter I will not be able to wear them! How EXCITING!!!

Good luck everyone. I would love to hear how all the other March Sleevers are doing!

I am living through this very topic right now. Tomorrow I will be 14 days out. On Friday night, my family decided to go to Olive Garden, so I could join them and have some Minestrone Soup. (Broth only) My husband said that to support me, he would just order salad. I told him he didn't have surgery, he could get what he wanted, but sure enough, he ordered only salad. My FIL ordered fettucini alfredo with chicken. My MIL ordered ravioli in alfredo sauce, my child ordered spaghetti, my BIL ordered pizza, My SIL ordered coke and Soups and salad and ate a ton of breadsticks. I sat there at one of my favorite restaurants ever trying to sip my soup. While sipping, it kept bubbling up and all these bubbles were in my stomach and throat. I couldn't even finish half of it. They placed the breadsticks right in front of my face and I just smiled my way through the meal. Then my husband started eating a slice of pizza and some of his dad's fettucini, which he should if he wants. We walked out of the restaurant and my husband said, well that was okay, right? I immediately broke into tears and told him that was pure mental torture. I can't tell you how hard it was. This is just the beginning for me, but being at one of my favorite restaurants and not knowing if I can ever eat there again, and I am sure I could never eat a breadstick again, really messed with me mentally. I was having total buyer's remorse! I have to say, I am really struggling through this process. I think it is just because I am mourning my favorite foods and the fact that my husband and I often went out to eat and I miss that. I also am in a place where I feel like my little tummy will never be able to handle more food ever again. I know according to all of you that, it will change, but it's like when you are pregnant and feeling sick and it feels like you will be that way forever. lol I am 27 lbs. down, so I have to focus on that!

I teach Kinder. I go back after next week. My second day back is a walking field trip to a farm!! I was like SERIOUSLY?! Field trips drain me when I am feeling my best. I can't even imagine taking my 25 Kinders to the farm and we have to walk there and back. Ay yi yi! Then the 3rd day back is our Kinder articulation meeting. We always take a nice long lunch that day. Wow! Welcome back for me. I can't even eat solids yet. Hopefully we will go somewhere, that I can order Soup. I am pretty nervous about it. Most of the staff has no idea I did this. Only my few closest friends at work. I should be down 30 lbs since I was last at work. I am wondering if anyone will notice. I still don't notice!