SunnyCox

I had understood the dynamic to be that Dr. Illan was Dr. Kelly's copilot and he is now on his own but they still assist each other. I don't know for sure tho.
Amanda Rae

If you have a Jimmy John's nearby, you can order any of their sandwiches as an "unwich." An unwich is the same ingredients as the sandwich wrapped in lettuce instead of bread.< /p>

This is my plan. Just waiting to hit goal plus some time to let my skin tighten up.

You look incredible! I can't believe how well your skin has bounced back. You are making a lot of us envious! Congrats!

Mine was two weeks post op. It didn't last long. I had simply stopped losing on a daily basis and started to lose in chunks.

You look incredible! I can't believe how well your skin has bounced back. You are making a lot of us envious! Congrats!

Go to mexico and have your tummy and boos done for 6k.

The day of my surgery, I weight 279lbs. My husband looked at the two other women having surgery the same day as me, and each of them weighed around 200lbs. He had to remind himself that he did not know their story. At 180lbs, so many are still 50-60lbs overweight. Carrying around an extra 60lbs puts people at a great risk for diabetes and heart disease as well as knee and back pain. Those that weigh 180 are still struggling and are probably getting their weight under control before they ever reach 279lbs.

I had surgery in Tijuana and flew back to Texas within a week. Absolutely no problems. I did not wear compression stockings.

One bit of advice....
Don't buy the huge bottle!
So many things were ok pre-op that I hated post op. Plus, I am so tired of the taste of some of Vitamins. I have a 180 count (expensive) bottle of Bariatric Advantage chewable multi-vitamins that make me nauseous every time I chew one.
Had my doctor write me an Rx for Centrum liquid multi-Vitamin a few days ago. It is still OTC, but with an Rx, it is covered by my flex spending account (tax free money).

I took vacation time for medical reasons. I didn't mention the reason.
This may help -
I also work in several hospitals. There is often an option for the hospital to block the records of their employees. For me to view records of an employee, I must go through an extra HIPPA screen which requires me to verify that I am authorized to review the records. The screen gives me a warning that states that if I continue my information will be reviewed for having accessed the records. Talk to the HIM staff and see if there is something they can help to protect your private information.

Someone the other day called it a "temporary tool" rather than just a tool for us to use to regain control of our lives... I like thinking of it as temporary. It helps to remind us that it alone will not be the cure all. It will help us get started, but if we don't make other changes we may not be one of those 3 years plus success stories!

I must say I'm a little taken aback by the number of posts I've read on this forum recently by people who seem genuinely surprised that you can gain weight after having surgery. Whether it be Water retention during that first month (3 week stall) or simply 9 months down the line and someone is eating crappy foods and not following their plan anymore....it is most certainly possible. In fact, no matter what type of WLS you have, a person who is determined can eat around it. This is why most of us are forced to have a psych eval and see a NUT several times before surgery...so we understand this is not fool proof.
This is not meant to be a criticism of anyone here. My real concern is why aren't your doctors and NUTs driving these points home with you before surgery? My surgeon made me sign a document stating I understood I had to eat right and exercise for the rest of my life or the surgery wasn't going to help me.
If I could say one thing to everyone it would simply be that the surgery will not do everything for you. You have to eat the right things, and you need to exercise. The sleeve helps initially. But as time goes by the sleeve does less and less, and you have to do more. The people I've seen here who have been successful are those that embraced those changes and learned better eating habits while they were still in the honeymoon phase, so when their capacity to eat increased they made better, healthier choices and maintained their goal weight.

14 months post op and down 215 pounds since my highest.I Have another 30-40 pounds to go but i am more than happy with my results. Life's Good !

I felt my ribs the other day when I put my bra on! They were no longer hiding under all that fat.
Even made my SO come feel them. Hehehe

I posted this for someone else this morning...
There are hundreds of posts here from people who feel like failures in the first month. I bet there isn't a one of them who did not go on to lose a significant amount of weight. I think many people (myself included) expect huge loses and miracles in the first month or two because we read one post or watched a video about the person who lost 50lbs and ignore the twenty other posts that complain about slow weight loss.

My first month post op, I lost 15lbs. Usually when I do my count, I include the weight I lost on my pre op diet to help me feel better. I am 6.5 months out and am currently 203 starting from 279 before my preop diet = 76lbs. When I include my pre-op diet, that is 7 months and 76lbs averages 10.9lbs per month. That isn't super fast. It isn't the big numbers that the minority write about. It is average, and IT IS WONDERFUL!!! In the first couple of months, it was hard because I couldn't see my weight loss. The scale moved a little each month, but my body didn't look much different.
Included in this six months were at least 3 stalls that lasted two weeks. I had one stall that lasted a month where I would fluctuate the same 3lbs. While I averaged 10.9lbs per month, there was a month I didn't lose anything another that I lost 20lbs.
The great part about the sleeve is that I can't really give up. Even though my weight loss is slow to average, that weight is gone forever. I won't be able to go back to my old eating habits when I don't like the way my diet is going. I can't Celebrate a weight loss or a failure with a big dinner (always because I deserved food when I did well or poorly). Remember the last time you lost 49lbs? Now remember when you gained them back. Not going to happen this time.
After 6 months, I am completely not worried about stalls or slow loss. I am content and enjoying my new body, healthy life style, compliments and stares from strangers.

I don't think there is anything anyone can tell you that makes the first few months better. It is simply a process. Just remember that this is a journey, and you are just beginning. Believe in yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself.

Unfortunately, I know how this feels.
Any time I take meds (especially pain meds), am not getting enough Fiber, have lower Water intake or haven't had a BM in two days, I start taking stool softeners. Stool softeners are much safer than laxatives, and I have seen many people who have used them daily / long term. If it were me needing long term help, I would start by taking Fiber supplements.

You will be able to eat, after all, if we couldnt we would die, what you will NOT be able to do is binge eat. Some things may be harder than others but consider this - you mentioned how you feel you might be losing out - how much life are we losing out on being so heavy? Is there not more to life than when is the next time we can have pizza?
I know you are not talking in such simple terms but my goal is to put it into perspective, not be taken super literally.

I posted this for someone else this morning...
There are hundreds of posts here from people who feel like failures in the first month. I bet there isn't a one of them who did not go on to lose a significant amount of weight. I think many people (myself included) expect huge loses and miracles in the first month or two because we read one post or watched a video about the person who lost 50lbs and ignore the twenty other posts that complain about slow weight loss.

My first month post op, I lost 15lbs. Usually when I do my count, I include the weight I lost on my pre op diet to help me feel better. I am 6.5 months out and am currently 203 starting from 279 before my preop diet = 76lbs. When I include my pre-op diet, that is 7 months and 76lbs averages 10.9lbs per month. That isn't super fast. It isn't the big numbers that the minority write about. It is average, and IT IS WONDERFUL!!! In the first couple of months, it was hard because I couldn't see my weight loss. The scale moved a little each month, but my body didn't look much different.
Included in this six months were at least 3 stalls that lasted two weeks. I had one stall that lasted a month where I would fluctuate the same 3lbs. While I averaged 10.9lbs per month, there was a month I didn't lose anything another that I lost 20lbs.
The great part about the sleeve is that I can't really give up. Even though my weight loss is slow to average, that weight is gone forever. I won't be able to go back to my old eating habits when I don't like the way my diet is going. I can't Celebrate a weight loss or a failure with a big dinner (always because I deserved food when I did well or poorly). Remember the last time you lost 49lbs? Now remember when you gained them back. Not going to happen this time.
After 6 months, I am completely not worried about stalls or slow loss. I am content and enjoying my new body, healthy life style, compliments and stares from strangers.

I don't think there is anything anyone can tell you that makes the first few months better. It is simply a process. Just remember that this is a journey, and you are just beginning. Believe in yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself.

YOU ARE NOT GOING TO MISS OUT!
About a week after surgery, I was making dinner for my family. Unfortunately, it was my favorite meal, spaghetti. I kept feeling sad that I wouldn't ever be able to eat spaghetti again. Then, I had to remind myself that I would be able to eat spaghetti. I would eat one, sleeved-sized serving, and I would be SATISFIED. I wouldn't eat a huge plate plus three pieces of bread, two sodas and possibly seconds.
There are many people who stay on a strict high Protein / low carb diet. I think people who are strict, lose weight more quickly. BUT there are many of us here that eat more normally, but in smaller portions. I am almost 7 months out and down 75lbs, and my diet has definitely changed. I do eat my Protein first, veggies second and any carbs/sweets third. I do this because it is part of my new healthy lifestyle. I still have my favorite foods regularly, but I do what I can to make them healthier and eat a much smaller portion. I don't feel like I am missing out AT ALL.
Let me give you some examples...
I bought a box of Girl Scout Cookies yesterday. A year ago, that box (maybe two) would be gone by the end of the day. This year, I haven't even opened the box. When I do, I might eat one or two every other day. My SO will probably finish off most of the box.
I have a box of Valentine's chocolates right now. I had one last night. The box is sitting on my desk. I have no desire to down ten of them at a time like I did last year.
You know the skinny girl at the restaurant that only eats half the food on her plate while you clean your plate? That is me. I used to be so jealous of the people who didn't feel as though they had to clean their plates. It feels so great to push half or two-thirds of my meal into a to-go box. I have no regrets because I had a few bites of everything I wanted and am fully satisfied.
I actually crave fresher foods and non-fried foods. I would have never thought it would happen.
I don't want breads or high carb foods because they take up too much room in my stomach. I want to fill it with healthy food. I used to eat a lot of bread because I knew I could still shovel in food after the bread. Now, I know it won't fit. I might have one or two bites of bread if it is something I really want.

YOU ARE NOT GOING TO MISS OUT!
About a week after surgery, I was making dinner for my family. Unfortunately, it was my favorite meal, spaghetti. I kept feeling sad that I wouldn't ever be able to eat spaghetti again. Then, I had to remind myself that I would be able to eat spaghetti. I would eat one, sleeved-sized serving, and I would be SATISFIED. I wouldn't eat a huge plate plus three pieces of bread, two sodas and possibly seconds.
There are many people who stay on a strict high Protein / low carb diet. I think people who are strict, lose weight more quickly. BUT there are many of us here that eat more normally, but in smaller portions. I am almost 7 months out and down 75lbs, and my diet has definitely changed. I do eat my Protein first, veggies second and any carbs/sweets third. I do this because it is part of my new healthy lifestyle. I still have my favorite foods regularly, but I do what I can to make them healthier and eat a much smaller portion. I don't feel like I am missing out AT ALL.
Let me give you some examples...
I bought a box of Girl Scout Cookies yesterday. A year ago, that box (maybe two) would be gone by the end of the day. This year, I haven't even opened the box. When I do, I might eat one or two every other day. My SO will probably finish off most of the box.
I have a box of Valentine's chocolates right now. I had one last night. The box is sitting on my desk. I have no desire to down ten of them at a time like I did last year.
You know the skinny girl at the restaurant that only eats half the food on her plate while you clean your plate? That is me. I used to be so jealous of the people who didn't feel as though they had to clean their plates. It feels so great to push half or two-thirds of my meal into a to-go box. I have no regrets because I had a few bites of everything I wanted and am fully satisfied.
I actually crave fresher foods and non-fried foods. I would have never thought it would happen.
I don't want breads or high carb foods because they take up too much room in my stomach. I want to fill it with healthy food. I used to eat a lot of bread because I knew I could still shovel in food after the bread. Now, I know it won't fit. I might have one or two bites of bread if it is something I really want.

I posted this for someone else this morning...
There are hundreds of posts here from people who feel like failures in the first month. I bet there isn't a one of them who did not go on to lose a significant amount of weight. I think many people (myself included) expect huge loses and miracles in the first month or two because we read one post or watched a video about the person who lost 50lbs and ignore the twenty other posts that complain about slow weight loss.

My first month post op, I lost 15lbs. Usually when I do my count, I include the weight I lost on my pre op diet to help me feel better. I am 6.5 months out and am currently 203 starting from 279 before my preop diet = 76lbs. When I include my pre-op diet, that is 7 months and 76lbs averages 10.9lbs per month. That isn't super fast. It isn't the big numbers that the minority write about. It is average, and IT IS WONDERFUL!!! In the first couple of months, it was hard because I couldn't see my weight loss. The scale moved a little each month, but my body didn't look much different.
Included in this six months were at least 3 stalls that lasted two weeks. I had one stall that lasted a month where I would fluctuate the same 3lbs. While I averaged 10.9lbs per month, there was a month I didn't lose anything another that I lost 20lbs.
The great part about the sleeve is that I can't really give up. Even though my weight loss is slow to average, that weight is gone forever. I won't be able to go back to my old eating habits when I don't like the way my diet is going. I can't Celebrate a weight loss or a failure with a big dinner (always because I deserved food when I did well or poorly). Remember the last time you lost 49lbs? Now remember when you gained them back. Not going to happen this time.
After 6 months, I am completely not worried about stalls or slow loss. I am content and enjoying my new body, healthy life style, compliments and stares from strangers.

I don't think there is anything anyone can tell you that makes the first few months better. It is simply a process. Just remember that this is a journey, and you are just beginning. Believe in yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself.

YOU ARE NOT GOING TO MISS OUT!
About a week after surgery, I was making dinner for my family. Unfortunately, it was my favorite meal, spaghetti. I kept feeling sad that I wouldn't ever be able to eat spaghetti again. Then, I had to remind myself that I would be able to eat spaghetti. I would eat one, sleeved-sized serving, and I would be SATISFIED. I wouldn't eat a huge plate plus three pieces of bread, two sodas and possibly seconds.
There are many people who stay on a strict high Protein / low carb diet. I think people who are strict, lose weight more quickly. BUT there are many of us here that eat more normally, but in smaller portions. I am almost 7 months out and down 75lbs, and my diet has definitely changed. I do eat my Protein first, veggies second and any carbs/sweets third. I do this because it is part of my new healthy lifestyle. I still have my favorite foods regularly, but I do what I can to make them healthier and eat a much smaller portion. I don't feel like I am missing out AT ALL.
Let me give you some examples...
I bought a box of Girl Scout Cookies yesterday. A year ago, that box (maybe two) would be gone by the end of the day. This year, I haven't even opened the box. When I do, I might eat one or two every other day. My SO will probably finish off most of the box.
I have a box of Valentine's chocolates right now. I had one last night. The box is sitting on my desk. I have no desire to down ten of them at a time like I did last year.
You know the skinny girl at the restaurant that only eats half the food on her plate while you clean your plate? That is me. I used to be so jealous of the people who didn't feel as though they had to clean their plates. It feels so great to push half or two-thirds of my meal into a to-go box. I have no regrets because I had a few bites of everything I wanted and am fully satisfied.
I actually crave fresher foods and non-fried foods. I would have never thought it would happen.
I don't want breads or high carb foods because they take up too much room in my stomach. I want to fill it with healthy food. I used to eat a lot of bread because I knew I could still shovel in food after the bread. Now, I know it won't fit. I might have one or two bites of bread if it is something I really want.