aroundhky

Wish you the best... you got this!

Achieve..... I've had no unexpected complications. The only issues I've had are the typical ones where I learned the hard, despite knowing before surgery. Such as not chewing slow enough. Early after my sleeve, I often fell into old habits....eating big bites and not chewing enough. I tried some carbonated drinks a few times and even though I just sipped them....I still had a stomach that did not like that. In regards to the ones you've mentioned, I've not had issues with them....of course I was bald well before I had surgery, but I have heard of some people having hair loss...especially the ladies. I was able to eat bigger portions after a year or two and that did plateau for me and I'm eating about the same size portions now as I did two years post op. From year 2 post up until now... I'd say I can eat a whole medium sized chicken breast with a half cup of broccoli. That's now a typical portion size for me, but the first two years were maybe half that size. I'm timing my meals better now, not eating after about 7:30 at night and eating better foods than I was around 4-5 years post op. The only other thing I would say is we still have to do the work, be aware of how to eat well, be mindful of the rules/guidelines we're given pre op, but the sleeve does still help several years post op. It's a tool, it's up to us to utilize it and maximize it for our benefit. Just my 2 cents......

Excellent and good to hear from you again stranger!

Back on this site after no being on it in a year or two. It will be 7 years this Nov since my sleeve. Was well over 300 pounds, got down to 220s or so after my sleeve, back to up 260s after being undisciplined for a year or two and now back to around upper 240s. Sleeve helps, but isn't a free pass. Still have to be sensible. Hope to start being active here some again. Hope everyone is doing well with their sleeve and if in the sleeve considering stage, I'd advise to be informed and know that it will take work..but worth it in most cases....it sure was/is for me!

Easy Andrew..... slow that roll just a bit. It's true that alcohol is empty calories, but I think the amount and frequency is the determining factor. If one indulges in a glass or two of wine every other week, not sure that's really going to make a difference. If someone is drinking say.....every other day or a few times a week, there's probably going to be problem with extra cals. You're lumping everyone together it seems. And by the way, my Dr AND Nut said that an occasional drink after a few months will not hurt. I can't speak for others on here, but the message you and I received may certainly differ from other messages from other bariatric teams. So if someone is complying with what they were told, it's hard to throw them under the bus.....even if it differs from what you've been told. With that said.....for those who may be alcoholics or recovering, it's probably best to not partake again.

Looking great!

Great job Ashley....looking great!!

Awesome job!!

Holy smokes! Congrats!

Thanks "crazz" and "back2barb"!

Even though I'm about 2 and a half years post op, I've been up and down the past year or so. But not the kind of up and down (mostly up) that I was before the sleeve. By up and down now I mean maybe 12-15 pounds, which seems to be related more to my workouts and muscle gain or loss for the most part. Not the 20-40 pounds like before the sleeve. I'm still very happy I went through getting the sleeve over 2 and a half years ago.....hope I can still say that 10-20 years from now. The first one I was almost at my heaviest....320-ish. The second one I was about around my lowest (low 220's I think) and the last one was a week ago in the mid 230's.

Get out! They are really sending them to you???

Huh huh, huh huh...............you said......................pole!

Can't speak for everyone, but mine went from 9" to 11+". Just kidding, I really haven't noticed much of a change, if any.

Well said "gmanbat"!!

I've just told a few of my friends, the closest ones and they were all good with it and happy for me, especially when I told them that it caused me to stop taking all of my medications. One guy even asked for a good bit of information on the surgery due to his mother's present interest in bariatric surgery. I gave him a lot of information and referred my Dr to her and last I heard, she was following through a little more seriously and starting the road to getting the sleeve herself. Nothing but positive reactions on my end. But maybe it's a little different with guys.......who knows.

Yuck! You must go to a Planet Fitness! They ARE judgmental if you don't lift weights like they do and look like they do. That's a bunch of marketing BS on their part if you ask me. I got a temporary (one month) membership there close to home over the Christmas/New Years break last year. I usually workout on my lunch break and it's out of town given that I work out of town. Since I was off a few weeks for the holidays, I figured I'll just get the one month membership at Planet Fitness and pay a little extra just because I was just starting back after my surgery and it would be important to get off on the right foot out of the gate post-op. Mistake on my part! Not for exercising, just exercising at PlanFit. My second trip there (and my last), I barely made a tad bit of noise setting the weights down.....off goes the Lunk Alarm and everyone stops what they are doing and looks at me! What a load of crap! When lifting, people should give "effort". When giving "effort", I pretty much go to failure, that's the only way I get benefits from lifting. So when I put some weights down after giving "effort", it may be difficult to place it on the rack ever so gently.....shame on me! I get it that people don't like the guys that yell and clank weights with every rep....and I don't like it either. But they have gone way overboard with their Lunk rule. Also, way too many people at my local PlanFit that are orange and fake looking. So I left and told them this just isn't the place for me. I just stick with my great gym close to work now and may just take a couple of weeks off this holiday season. Sorry, I had to chime in once I read that part of your post and I may be a little bitter towards Planet Fitness and their absurdity. Carol, keep up the good work and do whatever you need to do to motivate yourself at the gym, and you will be just fine!

I do and like it. I usually use it on days I workout, gives me that complex carb that my muscles need and also helps with my overall protein. I'll put it in spaghetti and meatloaf (both with lean turkey).

A cubic foot of muscle DOES weigh more than a cubic foot of fat. It just needs to be worded correctly and refer to equal volume when comparing the two types of tissue. That's the main reason people want to assure others that just because the scale is not moving, check those clothes to see if they are more loose. If so, and the scale is the same, you have less fat and more muscle and the body fat % is less. I think that's the main reason that phrase came about. And then there's the whole water weight and glycogen issue too.

I wasn't a wine drinker either until after surgery. I don't mind it now and actually kind of like it on the rare occasion I want a drink. I've tried a beer twice (my pre-surgery drink of choice) and the carbonation is too rough on me. I can't even drink half of one now due to it causing issues with my sleeve and feeling extremely uncomfortable. Oh well wine and whiskey for me from now on if I want a drink. These posters are right about it affecting you quickly....you may want to ease into it if you decide to have that drink. Good luck!

Close......North Carolina here. Congrats and I'm glad it went well for you!

I did around a week and a half out..........soooooo goooood!!!! I probably eat way too much now.