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Imaginemeskinny please speak with your doctor about your travel plans. I am 2 months out now but my surgery was 2 and 1/2 hours from my home and my doctor required me to stay in a hotel local for 3 days after my surgery... Blood clots are a big concern and to be on the safe side check with your doctor to make sure it will be okay

On November 7th I will be at my 4 month mark I am 3 pounds from my self set goal to real 180 pounds Nd I will also reach a 100 pound weight loss
I can not begin to tell you how much better I feel I am no long short of breath when I walk I am no longer taking blood pressure meds and my feet ankles and knees feel much better and no pain

I hadn't seen most of my extended family in several months - since July. Others I saw 5 weeks ago at my SIL funeral. I have lost 15-20ish pounds since seeing most of them and have changed shape a little even since the early Oct timeframe.
We did a big family excursion yesterday and my sibs were all WOWED. To have several of them tell me "you look absolutely beatiful" really warmed my heart because i don't get compliments from my hubby and I often don't feel confident about how i look. One of my sisters said, you look like a size 10! Well, I am in the size 12-14 range so she wasn't quite right, but it was also a great boost to my ego.
Part of it is that I am tucking shirts in and doing things to look a little sharper. Just dressing nicer. I have gotten rid of millions of too big clothes but have bought few replacements. I am committed to wearing things that fit, so that means only buy a handful of items at each size.... since they get too big pretty fast! I think that makes you look thinner just because you look tidier in well fitting clothes.
anyway, made my day!

I took one of these photos on Nov 4, last year, just after my surgery and the other one I took today, exactly one year apart, same outfit, but 63 lbs different. I have another before and after photo on my blog, along with a few thoughts on a what a difference a year makes. Check it out at www.queenofcrop.com if you have some time.
 

Congratulations! Can't wait to be there...

Today I finally bought a pair of jeans. I got tired of pulling mine up all the time lol. Before surgery I was wearing a 24. Today I bought a size 16 average. Yes average not W & to top things off I did not get them in the plus sizes! The weight is coming off! Thank the good Lord.

I finally fit in a size 10!!!!!!! Had to share my joy!

I am now 3 months post op and down 51 pounds. It has been such an amazing journey. Reading posts here before and after my surgery have been so helpful. I have enjoyed reading everyone's accomplishments and joys from having this surgery. People that were rolling their eyes and wondering what the hell I was doing to my body are now shaking their heads saying damn girl, this really is working. DUH!!! I told you. I'm off all my diabetes meds and the numbers for my sugars are normal without using anything. My main purpose for doing the surgery. The weight came second, but sure is an incredible plus. This surgery isn't a fixall for everyone's problem. It is a tool. If you use it to it's fullest capabilities, it will reward you. It still is alot of hard work, but so definately worth it. Can't wait to see what the next 50 lbs will bring. Good luck everyone with your adventure, work hard at it, it's worth it!!!

At six months out, my weight loss is starting to slow a little, but I'm still losing and doing all the right things. I screamed a little when I got on the scale this morning as I'm now down 80 pounds. The picture below is from this weekend at a birthday party for my son.

Day I decided surgery 320 8/1/12
Day of surgery 288 8/31/12
Today 262 11/5/12
As in my other posts I still struggle with losing, but I took this pic and that's when I finally noticed!

sugar free popsicles actually taste a little better, IMO. That's any easy fix to this easy problem.
I have a fat girl picture of me on the fridge. It's a nice reminder of how far I've come when the idiot cycles start (been there, done that).

I battle making the right decisions every day. I let myself get too hungry and then end up reaching for anything, like I did today. One bite of something too sweet turns my stomach, but I do fight the battle with carbs!!! Someone posted a pic a few days ago of an entire family size bag of Doritos crushed and fit in this little measuring cup. Unbelievable. It's been 3 months for me and I've lost 50 lbs, but have a long way to go. Hang in there. Think about everything you've sacrificed to be healthy!!! Don't beat yourself up, just get back on the wagon!

Get sugar free Popsicles..there is nothing wrong with you eating Popsicles..you will get past stall..just pretend your on a pre open diet again..visualize goal!

Sleeved at 278 lbs on 10/1. First post op pic at 244 on 11/1 . Second pic was at 291 in 8/12

I truly do not have a routine.. At all... still trying 2 figure that out... as far as eating thats a struggle 2 bc I get full sooo fast but tend 2 eat no fat and low sugar... I exercise 5 days a week... 《《《 very intense..I have a great support systems from family 2 friends even co workers... this is not easy like most think... u still have 2 work at it

Down 40lbs heres a pic

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Have you tried mixing shakes with other things? Your surgeon must have the notion that your sleeve is bigger than it is, or that you have time to nibble on Protein around the clock to reach the usual daily goal of 60+ grams of Protein daily!
Everyone is different but there is NO WAY I could have reached my goals with only solid food until around nine months post op.
I hated shakes until I started mixing my nectar chocolate/vanilla/cappuccino with coffee or tea each morning and drinking it either hot or iced. There *might* still be a chance for you to find something you like. In the beginning I kept trying to work with RTD Proteins and they made me sick to my stomach. I also couldn't tolerate super sweet things and developed lactose intolerance, so it was a challenge for me to find a protein I liked, too.
Foods I used to boost my protein:
Cottage cheese
Seitan (if you like it - I make my own)
Lentil Soup - lentils are a great source of protein with very low fat content and high Fiber
Meatballs are a good suggestion, and turkey or chicken seems to go down easier than ground beef
Instead of just an egg, scramble it with a little cheese and meat if you have room to eat this much
I am more than two years out and until sometime after one year out could not possibly eat more in one sitting than one egg scrambled with cheese or half a cup of cottage cheese. And I still start almost every day with a protein coffee or tea, so that I can reach my personal protein goal of 90+ grams daily.
Good luck,
~Cheri

Newgrandmother- all I can say is, until someone has walked in your shoes, no one should chastise you for the decision you made. Shame on her!!!

Congratulations Stacey! You will be just fine you are experiencing the dreaded 3 and 4 week stall. It is completely normal and the same thing happened to me. I am almost 2 months out and only wish I had this surgery years ago!!! It is a hard journey that will be will worth it... Keep going stay motivated and accept that their will be stalls along the way. Wishing you the best

I'm 3 years out .. here are my pics

Good Morning everyone. As I approach my 1 year anniversary of my sleeve surgery I thought it would be great to share my story.
I began my journey in February 2011 when I went to a Drs appointment and finally got on the scale, I had refused many times before.
That scale read 327lbs!!!! I really wanted to cry.
I then went next door and joined weight watchers. Did that for a few months and then started researching surgery. And had not heard of gastric sleeve, had been really searching bypass.
In July I went to an information session and decided sleeve was for me.
I went through the programs, groups and classes, and lost the 24lbs I needed to have my surgery. On Dec 8th 2011 I had my sleeve surgery. For the first 3 days I cried..."what did I do" but after that it has been an awesome journey! Today I can say " I have no regrets" I now why 178 lbs I still want to loose 25 or so more. I can shop in the regular stores, I can climb the 4 flights of stairs at work! I am very happy to have shared my journey! Good luck to all!!!!

I think there's this perception sometimes, with both surgeons and patients, that we're going to have this surgery and the weight will just fall off. As if the only factor in every single obese person's weight is purely a willpower/quantity thing, and removing most of your stomach (or banding it, or making it a pouch) is going to just immediately solve what years of failed dieting and exercise couldn't.
If weight loss (or gain) were a simple numbers game, every person that tries Weight Watchers would be reach their goal and stay skinny for life. It's NOT that simple for many of us. It works for some people, but for many others (especially those that reach the surgery point, like us) there are other issues like metabolism, insulin resistance and hormones at work.
These things are not immediately resolved just because you slice out 85% of your stomach, unfortunately. And many of us never find out WHY we don't lose as quickly, we just deal with it and slowly plod our way to goal.
I lost, on average, just barely over 6 pounds a month. I took 17 months to lose 107 pounds. I maintained very easily once I got there, but it was a longer journey than I expected.
You started out with a smaller amount of weight to lose and you've managed to shed more than half of the weight to your goal in four months. That is not a failure, that is actually quite an accomplishment.
Readjust your mental view on this and don't let a label your doctor has applied to you affect your feelings about your success. Because this is a success story already, and you will achieve your goal in time.
Best of luck,
~Cheri

So a 130 pound loss in a year and 3 Months. That is pretty spectacular. My words of advice...

Start working out before the surgery
Lose as much weight as possible in the first six months by severe calorie restriction (500). I am hungry now, and I can eat WAY MORE...so weight gain is possible. That window of opportunity is small in comparison to the rest of your life. See...I ate Breakfast, and I am hungry again already! It is 11:30am! I ate at 9:00am! So I have to drink something until lunch or else I will eat way to much during the day!
Have fun and enjoy the ride!

So for the last week I've been in the process of moving....packing the old place, cleaning, movers, unpacking at new place. Anyway, my family helped me pack and my sister packed my scale over a week ago. at first I was irritated because I weighed at least every other day....and then without it, I started to like it. I felt like I've been losing again (had a stall for over a week) and feeling like with all the packing, lifting, etc., I felt like I was getting in extra exercise.
So yesterday I caught myself in a full length mirror and I stopped and did a double take...is that me?!? No, wait a minute where am I? ...am I really seeing what I'm seeing? No, this must be one of those stretch mirrors. Yep, that's me. Wow my legs are looking a lot smaller. Wow I'm starting to look kinda good. Seriously, these are all the thoughts that went thru my was in a matter of seconds.
I love the NSV's!!!!
Unpacked the scale this morning and down 5lbs...love the scale victories too