Ready?Going..

Hunger- wasn't hungry at all the first few weeks.....now, 4 months post op, I get HUNGRY!, when it is time to eat, 5-6 bites later, I'm full and good to go for another 3-4 hours!

Energy - came around 4-6 weeks out.....and gets better every day! I LOVE it.....feeling more like myself again,..the younger, thinner self that is

Clothes - I purchased a pair of size 16 Jones New York Jeans about 8 years ago.....they still have the tags on them, I've moved 750 miles and into 3 other dwellings since I bought those.....and they followed me faithfully. I put them on, zipped them up about 4 weeks ago.......and that's when I cried. Today, I wear 'em and look damn good too!

I've lost about 45 pounds, first started to notice it in my face. Last night as the hubby and I lay in bed, he was looking down at me and I asked what he was looking at (afraid I'd missed a chin hair when plucking)......he just smiled and said......."your beautiful face. It's back."

The pain is mostly soreness and gas. Take the pain medications as prescribed and walk.....walk......walk. It works the soreness out and moves the gas on thru.

Seriously, as soon as you can stand up......straight......walk. Sometimes the first walk looks more like a shuffle........hum a little tune and shuffle along.

The first 24 hours after surgery were the most uncomfortable to me.....on a scale of 1-10, I'd have rated my worst pain as a 6 or so. And I discontinued the iv pain meds myself as the ones you take by mouth last longer and you feel better.

This is awesome and the BEST thing I've ever done for myself........other than marry my husband.......well, and give birth to my 4 kids.

Every body loses differently. I'm 4 months out, and have lost 45 pounds. What has been weird for me, is days when my clothes are bagging and sagging.....the scale will read I haven't lost anything or even gained a couple of pounds. Very odd.

I don't weigh daily, or even weekly.......I just eat and keep moving and grooving. I figured the scale obsession - and impending discouragement - I had for multiple years was part of how I got to 264# in the first place.

As long as the clothes are getting looser.....you are winning the race!

Woot! Woot! Woot!.....keep it up, cause my word......you look awesome!!!!

A southern woman!!!! Lord, have mercy, I know just how you feel!!! Born and bred southern cook here! I have NEVER met a pat of butter or a cup of sugar I just didn't love!!!!!

I have 4 kids (17-26) and a hubby that love my cookin' and lord knows I love to cook for them. Just 2 nights ago I was pulling roasted potatos and meat loaf outta the oven......had greens cookin' on the stove and the hubby says "this is almost perfect, where's the corn bread?". Truth be told, I didn't have any corn meal in the house (I know, my grandmomma is turning over in her grave right now) and hadn't thought about any.

Another ah ha moment for me..........funny how life changes and the things we love fall to the way side when something else really cool comes along.....like 45 pounds less of me!!

But, there'll be some corn bread this weekend or early next week.........cause his parents are coming to Houston and bringing us a "fresh mess" of turnip greens!

This life is different....not bad, just different. I had one of those days about 3 weeks post op where I wanted to be able to deal with a particular life stressor in my favorite old way........eat a ton of chips and salsa, drink way to much, and dive into enchiladas like tomorrow would never come! Of course, the 'ole sleeve doesn't allow that.

And that was an ah ha moment for me...........why had my habit become a slow torment for me? Why did I need to punish myself?

And I learned to embrace the Beatles.....just let it be.

Tomorrow is another day. A good night's sleep, a smile from a joyful child.....and the world will be better tomorrow. And the new you will just keep showing up, little by little..........or I guess in our case, the new us shows "down" little by little.

Thank you ladies. It was a fun, ah ha moment!

Girl, I was sleeved back in June, and after about 5-7 days I was hungry....I swore I could just run a tube down my throat and pump those liquids in cause my arm was so sore from lifting the cup ALL THE TIME! I'd take 2-3 sips, be full as a tick on a fat dog........and then 5 minutes later starving to death!!!

My surgeon laughed at me (for some reason, I get that response a lot) but encouraged me to keep drinking and sipping, things would even out........and they did.

And maybe all that lifting toned up my biceps a little too.

I was sleeved back in June of this year and I'm surprised now regarding how hungry I can feel and how much of some things I can eat. I have discovered if I eat foods that are not processed (ham, greens) I get full quick!........but girl, I can eat me some Cheeze ITs........those things just go right in and right down sooooo easy.

I don't know how much weight I've lost - somewhere around 35-40 pounds. I don't really care and I don't weigh often at all. I think it was all that obsessing that got me in this shape (round, rotund, obese) in the first place...........but I do know that I now wear a size 16 jean and I haven't done that in more than 15 years!

Hang in there........this sleeve thing is very interesting and seems to be unique to each individual.

One advantage to slower weight loss......our skin has time to adjust so we don't look so.....deflated?

Always a silver lining

My surgeon reminds me that we must eat to lose, told me to forget about counting calories, to eat high protein, low fat, few processed foods, no sugared beverages and just live my life. He was right. All this obsessing is part of how I got to be fat in the first place. Stressing, worrying, counting, pushing, and then the guilt......feel like a failure......and so the circle went.

Eat well, live well, love much and laugh often............and have faith this sleeve will do it's job!

Congratulations!!!....ain't this just grand?!?!

I am 3 months post surgery today. I get hungry, about every 4 hours, but that is a good thing for me. Otherwise, I'd forget to eat and that doesn't help anybody! The cool thing is I can eat a small amount, like 4 Chick-fil-et nuggets, and call it a meal. Then I'm good for another 4 hours or so.

The other night, the hubby and I had gone out to a local bar, danced our toes off, and were headed home about 1:30am. I was STARVING!! I told him he had to take me to get something, cause there was no way I could go to sleep.....my belly button was chewing on my back bone!!!

1 pinto/cheese from Taco Bell later (well, most of the 4 oz cup) and I was full as a tick on a fat dog and fast asleep.....and the hubby thinks it is great that I'm such a cheap date!

LOVE my SLEEVE!

Oh yes, MJ....I most definitely had a cocktail!!!! My beverage of choice has always been Crown Royal with water......nothing exciting or exotic. And on Wednesday of last week.......it was Crown and Ice! and it took a good hour to drink it, which was fine by me. I've always had an unusual tolerance for alcohol, so the effect was minimal - other than it just took the edge off my nerve. Not really sure if it was the alcohol that did that, the setting, the company (I really do like my hubby), or just the fact I sat there, breathing in and out, sipping on my beverage. But if your question regarding effects of alcohol were more tolerance directed....it doesn't hurt my stomach, cause nausea or anything like that. And if your question is more of how does it effect my weight loss, couldn't tell ya cause I quit weighing daily weeks ago. I discovered that was bad for me.

Leslie - go for it girl! And, ain't it lovely to cherish all 4 delicious bites of whatever it is that you're eating (cottage cheese and tuna are a favorite of mine)? I don't remember really enjoying eating pre surgery like I do post surgery.

Thanks for the encouraging words ladies!.........Onward and upward (or rather downward, in our case )

Thanks everyone for the comments. I am so glad you enjoyed the read and had a good laugh. Cause, lordy mercy, if we can't laugh while we are on this trip........it is gonna be a llloonngg trip!

So glad ya'll enjoyed the giggle......it really is funny, ain't it?

Thanks everyone for the comments. I am so glad you enjoyed the read and had a good laugh. Cause, lordy mercy, if we can't laugh while we are on this trip........it is gonna be a llloonngg trip!

My sleeve is scheduled for tomorrow, and I gotta say, your blog entry is the first one I can relate to. I too, am a busy chick, and am focused totally on not missing a moment of the life I love to live. Nice to know at 10 days I can be about my business with minimal disruption. I'm also excited to read that you know before you are stuffed and miserable. I too wonder if other people are born with this and some of us miss that part. It sure would explain a lot!!!

Thanks for the encouragement! I'll be following your blog for more insight on my own new birth