LaBelle509

CONGRATS ON THE BABY!!!!! I had this surgery so that I can have a baby! but I am sure the doctors will watch you closely. Follow their orders and take good care of yourself. God be with you and your little angel :wub:

As a guy I BEG you NOT to do it We would appreciate more pics too
Really, I would wait at least a year to stabilize and make sure that they don't change any more.

Well, the truth has already been mentioned, it's hard if not impossible to get rid of. The body has an excellent way of growing new skin as we fatten up and no real way to get rid of it once it's not needed.
I had it pretty bad, lucked out in the belly for the most part but my inner and back thighs looked nasty. I've been seriously biking for a few months - about 100 miles a week - and while they are better they are still gross. Compression garments just cover it up.
So exercise helps but nothing will really CURE it, except surgery, and I am loathe to do that.

That is a hard situation to be in! but you can and will make it. Make sure you let him know how his actions are impacted you. And he's making it so much more difficult to fight your cravings by having unhealthy food in reach. Reminds him of why you did it.
But also, remember you did this for you. This is your journey. This is your fight. You need to make changes for yourself. If he supports you, great. If he does not, you are still in charge of your body and what you eat. You can still chose what you eat, how much you eat, and how that will impact your weight loss.

I cancelled my Lane Bryant Credit Card today. Good feeling. I appreciate LB for what they had for me back then. But I am ready to rediscover new things. Can't wait!!

That is a hard situation to be in! but you can and will make it. Make sure you let him know how his actions are impacted you. And he's making it so much more difficult to fight your cravings by having unhealthy food in reach. Reminds him of why you did it.
But also, remember you did this for you. This is your journey. This is your fight. You need to make changes for yourself. If he supports you, great. If he does not, you are still in charge of your body and what you eat. You can still chose what you eat, how much you eat, and how that will impact your weight loss.

I have not been here in a while!! Hello to all my sleeve sisters!!

That is a hard situation to be in! but you can and will make it. Make sure you let him know how his actions are impacted you. And he's making it so much more difficult to fight your cravings by having unhealthy food in reach. Reminds him of why you did it.
But also, remember you did this for you. This is your journey. This is your fight. You need to make changes for yourself. If he supports you, great. If he does not, you are still in charge of your body and what you eat. You can still chose what you eat, how much you eat, and how that will impact your weight loss.

I do get hungry. Nothing like the constant " starving " feeling I used to have. A more easy to control feeling. I usually feel it when I did not eat enough Protein. During the days that I am at work, it's easy for me to go long period without breaks. That is a mistake. Now I carry a couple of Protein shakes with me. That helps me a lot.
At first I used to feel hungry all the time. But like someone else mentioned, it was mostly head hunger. I wanted to eat!! If I saw a commercial or smelled food, I felt super hungry. But with time I learned to distinguish between my head hunger and physical hunger. That took time. But I was able to do it. With physical hunger, whatever I ate, I felt satisfied and it went away. Emotional hunger will only go away if I ate the specific thing that I was craving. If I ate something else, the "feeling" of hunger hunted me still. Once I learned that, I slowly started to control myself better.
I am a slow loser ( going through a stall right now ). I want to see result right away. I want people to notice the progress I have made. That is a lot of stress. In my pre-op class, the nurse warned us against the danger of getting on the scale every day. She also said ( she had the bypass ), to limit the amount of info that we share with others as far as what we are losing. The need to report is added stress. I can see her point now.
I get asked DAILY about what I have lost. I found freedom in answering : I dont know or that's my secret ( followed by a cute wink ) .
Imagine the struggle we are going through when the scale doesn't move... Now imagine telling some regular person that has never struggle with their weight, that you had weight loss surgery but yet not losing?! The " You are failing " ignorant look that will surely come, would be enough to send me over the edge!!!
I have told not ONE soul at work or church how much weight I lost. I still catch a few looks here and there, like " she still looks fat to me ". that is why I make sure they know nothing of my progress. I have enough internal pressure about the way I still look. I refuse to add them too.
Tell your husband to hang in there. Make sure he is eating enough Protein, drinking enough Water and eating his meals at a set time. If he gets hungry before his meal, don't eat what he is craving but rather something different. Lastly, tell him people will notice. Be patient. Take care.

When I was a freshman in college some new school friends and I went to Six Flags for a day of fun and a chance to get to know each other. There was a ride everyone wanted to ride...we waited in a huge long line for about an hour (so you can imagine how many people there were watching). I sat in the seat and lowered the bar over my shoulders....it clicked once or twice so I figured I was ok! They tried to start the ride and nothing happened. They spent the next 5 minutes trying to figure out what was going on. They finally figured out it was me....they came and pushed with all their might in order to get the lap bar to click a little bit further so the machine would start. People were groaning and getting annoyed. Finally after 4-5 tries they asked me to get off the ride. To say that the walk from the ride to the exit was the most demeaning and horrible feeling I've ever felt would be an understatement. People were staring and giggling....it was one of the worst moments of my life and something I will never forget. Sadly that was not enough to get my eating under control. It would be 10 years before I was strong enough to get sleeved. Now that I have successfully had the procedure, I CANNOT WAIT to take my butt back to Six Flags and get on that ride.....now it's only a matter of time. I'm not there yet, but thanks to the vsg I know I will be eventually. That will be a day of real victory!! Hang in there....its rough but these are the moments that bring us one step closer to success.

While traveling for business with my very small, extremely fit boss, I had "the moment"...I had to ask for a seatbelt extender for the first time ever. I wanted to DIE of shanevand embarrassment.
I sheepishly called out to the flight attendant and then, in a barely audible voice, explained my situation. She stomped to the front of the plane in a huff, obviously annoyed. That alone got people's attention. I will never, ever forget what she did next....she came stomping back up the aisle and in an really loud voice says, "WHERE'S THE LADY WHO NEEDS THE SEATBELT EXTENDER?!"
I've never been so humiliated in my entire life. I wanted to die, sitting there, trapped on that plane with my boss. I barely raised my hand and she pretty much came towards me swinging the damn thing over her head. I wanted to choke her with it.
Instead, I did what lots of us fatties do, I hid my pain and shame with humor. To make everyone ELSE less uncomfortable. I cannot wait for the day when I'm thin and healthy enough that the seatbelt panic will not even cross my mind while boarding a plane.

I do get hungry. Nothing like the constant " starving " feeling I used to have. A more easy to control feeling. I usually feel it when I did not eat enough Protein. During the days that I am at work, it's easy for me to go long period without breaks. That is a mistake. Now I carry a couple of Protein shakes with me. That helps me a lot.
At first I used to feel hungry all the time. But like someone else mentioned, it was mostly head hunger. I wanted to eat!! If I saw a commercial or smelled food, I felt super hungry. But with time I learned to distinguish between my head hunger and physical hunger. That took time. But I was able to do it. With physical hunger, whatever I ate, I felt satisfied and it went away. Emotional hunger will only go away if I ate the specific thing that I was craving. If I ate something else, the "feeling" of hunger hunted me still. Once I learned that, I slowly started to control myself better.
I am a slow loser ( going through a stall right now ). I want to see result right away. I want people to notice the progress I have made. That is a lot of stress. In my pre-op class, the nurse warned us against the danger of getting on the scale every day. She also said ( she had the bypass ), to limit the amount of info that we share with others as far as what we are losing. The need to report is added stress. I can see her point now.
I get asked DAILY about what I have lost. I found freedom in answering : I dont know or that's my secret ( followed by a cute wink ) .
Imagine the struggle we are going through when the scale doesn't move... Now imagine telling some regular person that has never struggle with their weight, that you had weight loss surgery but yet not losing?! The " You are failing " ignorant look that will surely come, would be enough to send me over the edge!!!
I have told not ONE soul at work or church how much weight I lost. I still catch a few looks here and there, like " she still looks fat to me ". that is why I make sure they know nothing of my progress. I have enough internal pressure about the way I still look. I refuse to add them too.
Tell your husband to hang in there. Make sure he is eating enough Protein, drinking enough Water and eating his meals at a set time. If he gets hungry before his meal, don't eat what he is craving but rather something different. Lastly, tell him people will notice. Be patient. Take care.

Cheetos are my nemesis. If they are anywhere near me, I am compelled to eat them, way past the point of satisfied or even full. I love cheetos...they don't love me, but they are my crack. I don't keep them in my house. I do allow myself some of them. Once a month I buy a single serving bag and I am definitely like a crack addict. I sit down somewhere, just me and my Cheetos, and I eat them with as much appreciation and adoration as I can manage. NOTHING interrupts Cheetos time. Then, I throw away the package, wash my hands, brush my teeth and refuse to buy any more for another month. Perhaps you need to do something similar with Jiffy. Allow yourself that once a month treat, but eat clean (Protein and water) the rest of the time.
Someone will disagree with how I do this, but this is how *I* manage my addiction. For me, it's easier to avoid the trigger when I know that I am allowed to have it, just not today. And, in a huge way, Im glad that my brain has focused on one food rather than a whole spectrum of foods. It makes the craving easier to manage.

I found this great article about the importance of the first 6-12 months (depending on how much you have to lose) after surgery.... it really made me realize I've got to make the most of that time.
I know the veteran Sleevers know this stuff but I thought the newbies and pre-surgery sleevers (like me) would be interested. It's a gastric bypass website but all the vital info is the same for Sleevers.
http://gastricbypass...neymoon-period/

I'm pretty much experiencing the same thing. A few girlfriends are on super strict diet and one goes to the gym twice a day. She sat quietly while another coworker that has not seen me in a month, started complimenting me on how smaller I looked. When she was asked: can you believe how great she looks? She got up and said: I see her every day, so she looks the same to me and walked away.
I was a little surprised but said nothing. She came back and asked me if I brought my lunch with me, stupid question, to which I replied yes. She then screamed: great see you at lunch sexy!! and gave me a big, awkward, hug!!
She confessed to our other friend what she did. She tried to bring it up a few times. I shut her out every time. But yes surgery did change the dynamic of my friendship with her.

I love this website! I have received so much encouragement, support and hope form others. I can sincerely say most of my success so far, has to do with the people on this site. I learned so much from their mistakes, success stories and knowledge. When I am down, they offer me love and the kick in the touche that is needed.
But I also see the ones that will belittle you for asking a question that they deemed you should've have the answer to. Gratefully they are only a few of them! I usually stay away from them.
To all the "senior" sleevers that always take the time to answer every silly, misspelled, stupid question, thank you:)

I felt that way too!! don't worry, you are not alone. I still have moments when I feel alone in this journey. My husband can eat everything in sight and not gained a pound. We met as teenagers. He still wears shirts from when we first met. He has been real supportive. But he has no clue what it means to struggle with weight loss/gain.
I was driving and all of the sudden I just thought "what if this does not work?" I lost it!!! pulled over and cried for minutes. I had other episodes of self doubt and fear. Fear of failing, not making it, complications ect. But I went through a lot to get ready for the surgery ( doctor's appointments, labs, tests, seminars, getting my money ready) I was not about to walk away from it. I felt comfortable with my surgeon and the education that I received so I pushed forward.
After surgery I had moments when the old fears will surfaced and shake me to the core. But I am so glad I went through with it.

I love this website! I have received so much encouragement, support and hope form others. I can sincerely say most of my success so far, has to do with the people on this site. I learned so much from their mistakes, success stories and knowledge. When I am down, they offer me love and the kick in the touche that is needed.
But I also see the ones that will belittle you for asking a question that they deemed you should've have the answer to. Gratefully they are only a few of them! I usually stay away from them.
To all the "senior" sleevers that always take the time to answer every silly, misspelled, stupid question, thank you:)

I felt that way too!! don't worry, you are not alone. I still have moments when I feel alone in this journey. My husband can eat everything in sight and not gained a pound. We met as teenagers. He still wears shirts from when we first met. He has been real supportive. But he has no clue what it means to struggle with weight loss/gain.
I was driving and all of the sudden I just thought "what if this does not work?" I lost it!!! pulled over and cried for minutes. I had other episodes of self doubt and fear. Fear of failing, not making it, complications ect. But I went through a lot to get ready for the surgery ( doctor's appointments, labs, tests, seminars, getting my money ready) I was not about to walk away from it. I felt comfortable with my surgeon and the education that I received so I pushed forward.
After surgery I had moments when the old fears will surfaced and shake me to the core. But I am so glad I went through with it.

I felt that way too!! don't worry, you are not alone. I still have moments when I feel alone in this journey. My husband can eat everything in sight and not gained a pound. We met as teenagers. He still wears shirts from when we first met. He has been real supportive. But he has no clue what it means to struggle with weight loss/gain.
I was driving and all of the sudden I just thought "what if this does not work?" I lost it!!! pulled over and cried for minutes. I had other episodes of self doubt and fear. Fear of failing, not making it, complications ect. But I went through a lot to get ready for the surgery ( doctor's appointments, labs, tests, seminars, getting my money ready) I was not about to walk away from it. I felt comfortable with my surgeon and the education that I received so I pushed forward.
After surgery I had moments when the old fears will surfaced and shake me to the core. But I am so glad I went through with it.

My husband is a football coach and has been at the same school for two years. At the begining of the season all the coaches and family have a get together at the head coach house. I went last year and I was 60 lbs heavier than now. Now I'm 133 this time last year I was 188. So my husband told me that one of the coaches pulled him to the side and said hey coach I didn't know you were bringing your girlfriend. My husband looked like what is he talking about. He then responded that she(me) is my wife. He was like wow. I was wondering what you were doing with that hot chick.lol
Then lastnight we went to go look for a new car. Mind you his friend works at a dealership. We went to this same friend about four years ago to buy a car. So lastnight we went again looking for a new truck. It was cold in the building so I left to go get a jacket out the car. My husband told me when I went out his friend asked if he was still with me his wife and my husband said yes. He then proceeded to say why are you with another woman? My husband stated that is my wife. The friend then stated man I was about to say you are trifiling out with you mistress and you have a wife. I found this too funny had to post.

I'm pretty much experiencing the same thing. A few girlfriends are on super strict diet and one goes to the gym twice a day. She sat quietly while another coworker that has not seen me in a month, started complimenting me on how smaller I looked. When she was asked: can you believe how great she looks? She got up and said: I see her every day, so she looks the same to me and walked away.
I was a little surprised but said nothing. She came back and asked me if I brought my lunch with me, stupid question, to which I replied yes. She then screamed: great see you at lunch sexy!! and gave me a big, awkward, hug!!
She confessed to our other friend what she did. She tried to bring it up a few times. I shut her out every time. But yes surgery did change the dynamic of my friendship with her.

Other than my hubby, daughter, 3 very very close girlfriends and 2 coworkers, I didn't tell anyone else (not even my siblings/relatives). They were suppose to be sworn to secrecy! After seeing my weight drop drastically, one of my coworkers blabbed on me....I was hurt, surprised and bewildered! She had been on my pre-op journey with me for over a year! Not only did she just tell of the surgery...she broke it down and told people to watch what I eat and how small my portions were! I mean, nobody paid attention to what I ate or that I was losing weight until she said something about it...I really thought I pulled off my secret well! When other coworkers started asking me about a "rumor" going around bout me & surgery, I asked her if she told....she halfway denied it like she didnt know what I was talking about...totally lost a friend from that point on! She knew that I knew it was her! I never outright confronted/jumped on her about it, I just stopped associating with her completely, and she started avoiding me...afraid I was gonna get on her about it! I did damage control by telling people that I had hernia surgery and was on diet pills. Altho I still have people eyeballing and whispering behind my back, nobody asks anymore. Im in my 9th month post-op now and thank goodness im a slooooow loser, so my continued weight loss is not so noticable.

I'm pretty much experiencing the same thing. A few girlfriends are on super strict diet and one goes to the gym twice a day. She sat quietly while another coworker that has not seen me in a month, started complimenting me on how smaller I looked. When she was asked: can you believe how great she looks? She got up and said: I see her every day, so she looks the same to me and walked away.
I was a little surprised but said nothing. She came back and asked me if I brought my lunch with me, stupid question, to which I replied yes. She then screamed: great see you at lunch sexy!! and gave me a big, awkward, hug!!
She confessed to our other friend what she did. She tried to bring it up a few times. I shut her out every time. But yes surgery did change the dynamic of my friendship with her.