It's all new

Before surgery my mood fluctuated between 2-6. Usually in the lower portion. Now I fluctuate between 6-10, usually in the upper portion. Yes, the weight loss has a lot to do with it. I think it's in large part the exercise though - that is just a huge factor in my happiness. Before I was too overweight and too depressed to move. Mix in some hope and I started moving and haven't stopped!

Ok, don't laugh. I'm going to train for a figure competition. I know this is somewhat "bodybuilding lite", but when I look at women bodybuilders I want to build muscle but maintain femininity and this seems like a good solution. So, I have started training specifically for that purpose and am also changing my diet. First, I am doing a phase of 20% fat, 20% Protein, and 60% carbs. I plan on 1500 calories per day and then will see what happens with my body composition. I don't want to start too high with calories and know that I can maintain on 1500 with exercise. It is shocking to try to go so high on carbs - I'm sitting here drinking a shake of yogurt, skim milk, 1 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup blueberries, and two cups spinach just to try to get my carbs higher. To drink that and not add Protein powder seems insane! I know that as time goes on my carbs will lower by percentage, but this is the plan for the beginning. I was thinking of using Beverly UMP protein powder for the day to day. Does anyone have an opinion either way about their products or this powder specifically? Also, any advice about supplements? I don't like taking my basic Vitamins, but was told to get better quality vitamins than my current gummy vitamins and to get some Omega 3-6-9. Is there anything else that is of major importance? I am currently pretty fit, 5'6" tall, today I am 126 lbs although sometimes up or down as much as 2 lbs... I have insufficient muscle, that is the main problem, and also insufficient flexibility. I also started attending yoga as an add on. I am giving myself a year to train. I figure I'm not training to beat the other women in those tiny little suits, I'm training to show how far I have come and how far I can push myself. It has been one year since my sleeve and I needed a new goal - a new motivation to maintain both healthy eating and a good exercise program. Also, I think I may be happier with my body if I gain muscle, flexibility and a higher level of fitness. I know there are bodybuilders who are sleeved - I'd love advice!

Plastic surgery. I lost the weight but the plastic surgery fixed the skin. And... I have worked out like crazy through the entire process. My new goal is to gain weight - in muscle!

Today is my one year surgiversary!

You are looking great!! Keep up the good work!

I have one by New Balance that I got at Target - that was a mistake! I've heard Polar is a better choice but I'm not sure which model is the best.

Ok, here is my starting photo. I will hope that with a lot of hard work and attention to diet I can put on sufficient muscle mass to not make a complete and total fool of myself. One year ago I had a before picture, and then I lost the weight. This is my new before picture, before I gain the muscle.

As Kristie said, with anesthesia comes risk. The fact that you have had anesthesia before and not had complications is a good sign, but things do happen. I felt it was a risk worth taking when I had my plastics - one surgery was 12 hours and the other 10 hours. I seriously doubt it's a good idea to fly internationally that soon after surgery. I don't know that you can expect to be sufficiently recovered, in any way, to have a long day of travel - even by car - at one week out. Realistically I would wait a minimum of 4 weeks to travel somewhat comfortably and 6 weeks to travel truly comfortably. I did not stay overnight for my procedures so if that is what the doc said you likely won't have to. You can start walking slowly about 1-2 weeks after surgery on a treadmill, you do not want to raise your heart rate above a resting heart rate until around 4 weeks out - at which point I was cleared to raise my heart rate while doing elliptical or walking. At six weeks I was cleared for all activity - but that didn't mean I could actually do it. I am exactly 12 weeks out and my stomach feels totally fine moment to moment, I can do sit-ups, but when I try to do a pull-up it is impossible because of the pain. You tense those core muscles incredibly to pull-up and at 3 months I absolutely am not healed sufficiently. I expect it will take another 3 months to get my abs fully healed and be able to train the way I want to. In the meantime, my stomach is flat, but I want to be developing muscle and it is holding me back. I don't remember how long I waited for sex - but it was a while. I had my thighs done at the same time, so you can imagine with all those incisions I was in no hurry. My TT pain was pretty severe, not comparable to the sleeve at all. My sleeve was like having a splinter removed - not even in the same league. However, I didn't regret the surgery due to the pain at any point, and that should tell you that the pain was manageable. TT are not painful at the incision line at all, it is the suturing of the muscle to create the flat tummy that is painful. The feeling is as if you did 5,000 sit-ups in one sitting. So, getting up and down is very difficult at first. By the 5th day my tummy started to feel a bit better each day. And yes, there is swelling. A fair amount. Expect to be wearing only things with an elastic waist for a few weeks. I actually had to go buy bigger underwear and sweats because I held onto so much Fluid initially. It wasn't until I was getting in all of my fluids regularly and moving around plenty that the swelling started to go. If you are dehydrated at all, your body will hold onto all of the swelling! By 4 weeks out you will be looking probably quite good. At six weeks, even better. I thought it was 100% worth it. Somewhere in the cosmetic surgery forum I have a thread and the title says something about a tummy tuck and thigh lift - it has my before and after photos. Feel free to send me a message if you have additional questions.

Thanks for the tip! I will get it.

Globetrotter, I am sorry for all of the obstacles you've had this last year, the losses in your life would be overwhelming to anyone. And, the fact that you gained weight makes sense. I applaud you for getting back on the wagon. I wonder if as far as your body is concerned it's like you are starting over - as in, lose some weight initially and then quickly face a long stall. What got us all through that horrendous stall after surgery is that we had little choice and it was likely the time of our highest motivation. And from what I have read you are someone who historically has had a difficult time with loss due to your specific body being resistant. I think even if you make all the right decisions it sounds like you will lose and then stall. I know that after surgery I stalled for a month on 500 calories with plenty of exercise and not a morsel of "cheating". Of course, if that happened three years out I would be pretty stressed, due to having the capacity to eat more and likely feeling very deprived. That six month period where you lost 18 lbs must have required incredible effort. I think Cheri is right about the Protein after the workout. It won't taste nearly as good as the Reese's cups but it will give your body what you need - protein and (if you add the peanut butter) some limited carbs and some fat. Fat makes your body digest food more slowly. Any time you eat, it is helpful to have a bit of fat with the meal to increase satiety. I have had a problem with hunger since surgery, it never went away whatsoever. At three years out I don't remember what you said exactly about your hunger as opposed to cravings, but eating some fat with each meal does decrease motility thereby keeping food in your stomach longer. Worth a try? For your salt craving, I wonder if you have a nutritional deficiency. Maybe you could research online common nutritional deficiencies that present as salt cravings? I think it happens. The other thing is, as you know the more you expose yourself to processed foods, carbs, and fats the more you crave them. I've been reading "Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us" and it's been very interesting. In the foods created by the industry, they research the "bliss point" which will entice people to eat essentially regardless of their hunger. It's a very interesting read and I recommend it for anyone interested in the tactics and science behind the food industry's role in essentially encouraging the obesity epidemic. I'm not accusing you of eating crap - don't get me wrong. It's just that you are describing craving foods that you probably don't want to eat as you are losing and I identify with that. I had a huge problem with this as well. I went so far as to chew chips and spit them out - I had to ask that chips not be kept in the house at that time as I could not control myself around them! I don't think that is an option if you are deployed and eating communally though. Did you do the pre-op diet? When I did I went through withdrawal from sugars and carbs. I think it was the worst week of my life. Once I got through the withdrawal it got easier. Then, at about six months I had a few bites of birthday cake and the carb monster returned. For me, even just a tiny exposure creates tremendous uncontrollable cravings. I have to be an all or nothing person. Perhaps going through the withdrawal would be (hellish!) useful? My other tactic had been to completely fill my tiny tummy with healthy food so that I literally did not have room for the foods I was trying to avoid. Protein, blah blah, is what it felt like. And that worked but perhaps at three years the stomach has relaxed sufficiently that it would no longer work. At one year out I can do it, but haven't been lately. As far as constipation goes, you are right. During my loss phase I had horrendous constipation (ended up at the ER once!! Talk about embarrassing). Once I switched to maintenance and started eating more varied foods the situation improved drastically. I went from using MOM almost daily to maybe once every few weeks. I think it's the fats that make the difference for me. I am about to start eating differently for the next year as I train for a competition where I need to put on a lot of muscle and keep my fat low. And that means... Lots of protein, a fair dose of healthy carbs, but not very much fat. So I greatly fear I am headed right back to the same problems. I totally get your reticence to go back to dealing with the severe constipation. I was told by my PCP that using MOM regularly wasn't ideal, that he recommended using Miralax, even a double dose daily - but it just didn't work as well. I also took Fiber gummies. I avoid Iron in my Vitamins at all costs as that will surely lead to severe issues and a trip to the ER for the constipation no matter what I do. I imagine you have your routine down. I am basically throwing out various ideas that have helped me or that seem relevant. Some or none may be of interest to you. As a long time vet, you are possibly aware of and have recently considered everything I mention. But I wanted to take the time and make the effort to suggest what came to mind. Your solution is different than mine as your body is different and more resistant to loss. Your recommitment is admirable particularly given all that you have going on and I wish you the best of luck. Mary

I went from a 44H to a 32D. And that D is just loose skin. The surgeon said I would be a B or maybe an A at this point if she just took the loose skin and didn't add an implant. Uhhhh, sign me up for those implants!!! I'm waiting for a year I think, but it WILL happen. The thought of dating with the current conditions... Scary. I'm going to stay a d cup but add an implant and take away the loose skin.

I'm MTMW1975 on MFP, I'm a year out.

It's difficult because as you change to maintenance everything becomes super scary - it seems regain is right around every corner. Until you eat sufficient calories to maintain, you will keep losing. I know that sounds so simple, but turning things around is stressful! Your nutritionist has given you info that encourages a very strict approach that probably appeals to the part of you so terrified of a regain. Other VSTers have made suggestions regarding helping you to stop weight loss by increasing calories - its scary though. Essentially you need to evaluate objectively what will happen if you follow your NUT's advice, and whether it is what you want. Keep in mind the implications of being underweight - according to my doc the mortality rate increases similar to what it would be if you were obese. That was a wake up for me - no way did I work so hard to lose the weight just to give myself the same bad health I was trying to leave behind. Just take a step back and consider your options. Think about the rate of your loss, how many weeks that gives you before you become underweight with your current eating habits, and at what point you will make a change. Think about how many weeks you might need to figure out the right combo if you start adding calories slowly. Good luck - Mary

Ok, I think it is easy to think what we "cannot" do. And I get it - we are trained to eat a specific way to maximize weight loss, and to be successful are very devoted to that. But you will likely have to broaden your thinking and become more Fluid in your approach to stop the weight loss. So, with your Protein shake mix in Peanut Butter. You need the calories, it will not excessively fill your sleeve. If you blend 2T peanut butter into your shake it would be a good start. Another option is to also add 1/2 or even 1 banana. Because it is blended your body will think it is a liquid and it will pass through the sleeve easily. It gets around the restriction issue. And, the thing about one ounce of cheese as a snack is that it is essentially a slider. So, 1/2 ounce of cheese is about the size of a dice, maybe a bit bigger. Chew it up, and it is much smaller. I would guess even a tiny tummy could handle that twice daily. Cooking your meat in olive oil, again, will not take extra room in your sleeve. Stop using egg beaters - use eggs. You need the calories. It doesn't matter if you get slightly less protein. Get a minimum of 60-70. And your nutritionist was right - during the weight loss phase focus on protein at the exclusion of other foods. But it is time to switch your thinking to a more well rounded approach. You probably have to focus mostly on adding fats initially, but with some time will probably figure out how to add some carbs or veggies. Prioritize stopping the weight loss over arbitrary rules about sticking just to protein at all costs.

You are going to keep losing if you don't change your diet to maintain - at least that is my experience. An extra snack or two, slightly less meat in favor of something higher calorie (only if you are still meeting your Protein needs), an extra Protein shake, adding carbs - some or all of those may be needed. Avocado, nuts, and cheese. Full fat dairy. Etc. I've had to do it - I'm at 124-126 lbs and 5'6". There is no choice for me but to eat more than just meat unless I want to keep losing. It's scary, the transition feels almost like starting over.

I just responded earlier today to another thread about pretty much the same topic. Unfortunately it is common that even when you have lost your excess weight you keep the FUPA plus extra skin, making it... somewhat abnormal looking. My plastic surgeon addressed it in my tummy tuck, doing lipo of the area and a lift of the mons pubis at the same time. She tells her patients that no woman wants to look like they have a scrotum. (It doesn't really look like that, but having extra skin in that area is not ideal for a woman). I'd rather have the extra skin than the extra weight -best of both worlds was to get rid of it all.

Before my tummy tuck my mons pubis was a disaster - I lost my weight in other places but had a disproportionate fat pad in that area, and excess skin. The plastic surgeon did lipo and a lift of that area when she did the TT. As she said, she tells her patients that no woman should look like she has a scrotum. LOL. The surgery addressed the problem. I recommend consulting with a plastic surgeon to see what could be done - if you get only the genital area addressed it ought to be someone with a lot of experience in that type of surgery. And in the meantime some kind of compression underwear is probably needed to disguise the issue to the extent possible.

I'm May 2012 sleever too! May 10, 2012. Started at 255, reached my goal of 145 by New Year's Eve. As of March I got down to 126 lbs and I am done losing. I make sure to eat enough not to lose weight, even if it means putting in some higher calorie lower density food each day. I had plastic surgery already, a facelift, tummy tuck, and thigh lift. I still am planning on having a lift/aug, but I want time to get in shape after having to take time off for my previous surgeries. Right now I am really concentrating on fitness. I have a goal of unassisted pull-ups by my birthday, which is in October. I'm working on my arms - and all the rest of me - and will do my best to reach the goal.

I think it is usually unpaid.

Fiddleman, there is a thread elsewhere regarding another sleever with a very similar resting heart rate following his weight loss. Somewhere in the 40's as well. If I recall, lots of medical tests led to the idea that his heart had become quite efficient after years of hard work. Or something of the sort... In any case - you should look around maybe on the Vet's forum or fitness forum for the thread. I must say - Congrats!! Sounds like you have had great results, and I know you worked hard for your success. Awesome.