bella143

Hi all,
I just wanted to share that today marks 3 months since my surgery, and I am down 40.6 lbs and have finally made it into onederland! Never again will I have to look at a '2' as the first number in my weight--yaaay!

Before and after pics! Started at 261 and weighed in today at 227. 34 pounds down and ready to continue my weight loss goal. I was cleared for full activity today which means I have got to increase my exercise!
Good luck everyone! Sleeved on April 10th!

Today is my 6 month surgiversary & I am down 74.8 pounds!
Before & After picture attached :-)

I can't believe it's been almost a year since I had my surgery. It has definitely been a journey and I am so glad I have been able to accomplish so much.
I am so close to getting out of the 200's! I can almost taste onederland! My weight loss has considerably slowed but I am still pushing forward and I definitely feel great!
The difference amazes me still:

Yet saw on dr oz. take any kind of Greek yogurt and put in a plastic bag. Clip the corner and squeeze bite size drops on a cookie sheet. Freeze for 2 hours and then suck on them. Can put in baggies for easy snaking. I like this idea for a healthy snack for the kiddos too!

Thank you bella! You're right where everyone stalls so take hope that it will pass! Biggest things I can pass on to new slivers are:
Try and stay off the scale if you can, it will only determine your moods.
MEASURE MEASURE MEASURE!!
The very first thing you ever eat should have protein in it. At ALL times. Make sure its your make food source. I did not stay away from carbs or sugars on purpose, it just kind of happened because by the time I had my few bites of protein, I was full and didn't want the rest!
Good luck to you, a year from now, you'll be where I am today!

weight before sleeve? 223 lbs
weight After Sleeve ? 133 lbs
How many weeks is your sleeve? 11.5 months
did you start to gain weight already ? NOPE!

I'm almost 8 months out started weight watchers as part of my 6 month weight loss prior to it so the picture is over the last year! I'm about 20 lbs from my goal.

Here is a pic of my face at the end of last March. Here is my face today. I have lost around 78 pounds. I hardly recognize me! lol. Just having a feel good moment.

My story is like many others here –I am older (63) and after all these years of fighting the fight I made the decision to have the sleeve surgery.
The only goal I have is to be healthy –get off the six meds I was taking. I am only taking two meds now and hope to be off of one more in May.
I know this was the right way to go; I did not want to stop eating the foods that I like, just wanted to eat less of them. I do not count my proteins, carbos, calories at this time – I have changed my eating habits because the “junk food” which once took over my life has no appeal to me; I crave healthy foods – low fat frozen yogurt, not ice cream – have no desire for chocolate or candy now, but eat a few chips on occasion, but no longer a half a bag in a sitting – three chips once or twice a week. I eat small wheat crackers in the morning to ease the sometimes present nausea. I have had a glass or two of wine, drank a couple of beers St. Patrick’s Day, drink of choice at the bar is always vodka on the rocks with lemon; it lasts all night. I can’t do water unless it is loaded with ice cubes, so each morning I get a McDonalds unsweetned ice tea with lemon and drink it all day. I buy a bottle of Diet Pepsi (12 ounce) once a week sip it as needed.
Not your normal sleeve participant – but it is working for me and I see it working this way for a long long time. My Doctor is fine – well he shakes his head a lot. The NUT loves me; she shakes her head a lot also.
I have lost 44lbs to date – down two sizes – my face now has a shape, I feel great and for the first time I am not feeling as though I am giving anything up; yes, it is still a struggle when the stress of life gets to me; there is no shoveling food into my mouth to try to make it better (it never worked) – I don’t like excersing at all – but am trying to wrap my now flabby but smaller arms around it all.
This sleeve has probably bought me a few more good years – and yes, I am now a cheap date !

Wow!!! You look amazing congrats!!!

Im 8 days out...and first few days are torture in my opinion..I used gas x strips often and helped out SOOOOO much with the gas pains.. I also used a micowaved heating pad..( aka the bed buddy) all this and the pain meds helped..
Each day will get better, I wanna say it was about the 5th day I left like i was gonna be ok. 6th day i was out shopping and drove myself.
i stayed inside and rested the whole 5 days which helped out.
just know its gonna get better

Reading the responses I remembered that I did sleep in a recliner my first week and it helped a lot!!

Ok so when I started I was 315lbs....I am now down to 198lbs with 28lbs to go till I make my goal and I am 5' 9". Some of my latest NSV's are....

Some of my old shoes fit again...
Some of my old clothes from High School fit again...
The bath towel goes all the way around me...
My lab coat at work has gone from a 3X to a M...
I can cross my legs so easily now...
I can wear clothes in the juniors department...
I can wear things from Victoria's Secret....
Goodbye Lane Bryant and Avenue.....

Some of my struggles are.....
Getting 70g of protein a day it is more like 50-60g...
Drinking enough water...
Dying for a coke from Mcdonalds...
I cant' see the weight loss in myself/ mirror... (This is my big one)
I still feel larger than everyone around me...

Thanks for reading.....
Amanda

best thing I have ever done was get the sleeve!

Last month I was diagnosed with PCOS at 32 years old, which I had already known but the doctors would not listen to me. I have been overweight since I hit puberty. I played sports all year along and have always been very active. But have been over 200 lbs since I was about 13. I even played soccer and tennis in college. The last couple of years my weight has gone up and down but never below 200. My highest was 246. Last year while living in Thailand I left my husband and changed my life around. I started working out and running in races. Even with all that I was doing I could only lose about 15 pounds. Very frustrating when your are doing do much.
So this school year I moved to Pakistan and met a doctor that listened to me. Because of my diganosis and the fact that I have always been heavy, she suggested that I get a vsg. She was the head of the hospital and said that the surgeon was one of the best. And he was. So personal and kind. Did not make me feel bad about myself. So a week later I was sleeved, yes a week later. The service was awesome. I was in the VIP suite and everything went well. One other girl was sleeved after me and we spent the night in the ICU standard for this hospital.
So now I am about 2 & 1/2 weeks out and doing well. I am on vacation in Bangkok. My NUT asked me why didn't I wait until after Thailand and I told here that would make it a nth later and IT IS MY TIME. I am so ready to be skinny. I have lost about 15 pounds, things have slowed down but I think that is normal and have been reading other posts. I am walking, and following the diet??? liquids are hard to get all in. I just bought Protein but it is not very good I will suffer through because it is expensive.
I want to loose another 2 lbs to be below 200 by 3 weeks out!!!! I am walking and doing what I should.
I am a teacher in Pakistan and love my job, my daughter and soon to be new body!!!!

Hey everyone, I got great news from my surgeon. I have lost 32% of my weight and according to their scale 50 pounds in 14 weeks. My BMI is now 43. So exciting. I have never felt so good in my life. The only thing is the NUT told me I could only have 5 g carbs per meal. I want more carbs! Oh well, at least I am losing weight.

Hello all! I am so happy all went well! Feel pretty loopy right now from the morphine PCA and my mouth (despite frequent use of a mouth sponge) is drier than the Sahara desert...but other than that feel great. I can feel that my stomach was manipulated, but it's not that bad. Maybe I'll feel different after they get me up to walk but all the reading I've done on this site says walk, walk, walk! I honestly don't know how I would have handled this without all te advice I've been reading on this site. So for that THANK YOU for everybody that has posted about their experience!

Hi all, I dont post much but read a lot of ur success stories. It was 3 months yesterday since my VSG and today I weighed in 81lbs lighter. I only have 3lbs to go to be under 400lbs for the first time in years. I am so overjoyed. I've been obese for the majority of my life and it is the best feeling to know that Im finally in control.......All ur stories are such an inspiration to me. Thx for lettin me have my say.

I'm a performer (singer and wannabe actress), but my weight killed my confidence so I pretty much stopped going to auditions. About 5 years ago, I had professional headshots taken that were the final nail in my theatre coffin. They are, without a doubt, the worst pictures I've ever intentionally posed for. That includes drunken Vegas pictures, sweaty end-of-the-day at Disneyland pictures, everything. THE WORST.
On Saturday, I had new headshots taken by a friend who isn't a professional. The new pictures aren't the same quality as the pro pics, but they're still worlds better. I have my sleeve to thank for making me feel and look better. If you're still on the fence about this surgery, I hope this gives you the kick in the pants that you need.
Okay, here goes. One old headshot, and then one new headshot. Don't laugh.
Old headshot
New headshot

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These are my pictures six months after surgery. It had been going well. Still a low of learning on my part but I am happy! I have lost 131 pounds! I went from a size 30/32 down to a 14/16 short and an 18 pants.... So excited! Just wanted to drop in and show some pics.

I was starting to wonder if this day would ever come. I have reached my goal of 199 lbs. after 9.5 months. I did not think in a million years I would be in onederland once again. I have lost a total of 116 lbs and I am in better health now than when I was in my early twenties. My blood sugar has been normal since my surgery and all my blood numbers are in the normal range including my cholesterol which is 160. My blood pressure is normal and I take no medication of any kind. This is a NSV and a Scale victory all wrapped up in one. My sleeve has definately been a life changer for me.