CantBelieve_IdidIit!

Yep! Life is really good! Look at you girl! You have done a great job losing 108 lbs! We are so proud of you! Keep it up and by the way, your horses are beautiful too.

I had my band removed 11 months ago. Was sleeved Dec 12th 2011, just over 8 months ago. I started at 308, and this morning I weighed in at 200.2 pounds! I am so close to leaving the 200s behind me forever!!! It is just so exciting!!! I am still overweight, but i now longer look or move like the huge person I used to be. This photo is from yesterday - life is good!

As happy as I am more office workers are treating me different...it also ticks me off that I'm the same person I was at my starting point.

I am RIGHT there with you. I've lost 67 pounds and still see myself at 338. I still want to hide everything. I also work in a professional office and have to wear dress pants every day except Fridays. It was very hard to wear new clothes but when I do...I get so many compliments. Try it one day. DO NOT look in the mirror at work! Not even in the restroom...it opens your negative thoughts up to run wild. I messaged myself a close up pic of my face before surgery and took another one about 3 days ago...when I start the negative thoughts, I compare the two. Try and see if that helps and congrats on the weightloss! Proud of you!!!

Funny, same here...but as uncomfortable as it is, wear the tighter clothes! People at work and even my trainer have told me to get rid of baggy clothes...they make me look sloppy/dumpy. I did, wearing the tighter clothes and people from the other side of the office that would never have even said hello, now acknowledge and compliment me! The compliments and recognition keeps you motivated and on track! WEAR THE TIGHTER CLOTHES! hugs on the 60 so far!

At 45 I am ready to start really living! Pre op Tuesday... Get to pick a Sept date then!

48 and just got my date! October 1 will be my sleeve day! So excited!

40 is fabulous, I am having the time of my life!
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I'll admit that at first turning 40 was kinda depressing, but now 40's is looking pretty awesome ! Spent my 20's having kids, 30's being overweight and depressed and now will be rockin my sleeve at 40.... life doesn't get any better than this! October can't get here quick enough. To those who have had surgery, congratulations... and to the ones getting ready good luck.

Can't wait to have my confidence back

Caffeine is not kind to inflammation either. So if your sleeve is healing, caffeine can cause irritation and inflammation and thus prolong the healing process...

I am also glad that this topic is brought to surface. I am so interested in more experiences. I so far am reading Constipation, bad breathe, taste buds changing (low tolerance to sweets), and clues to knowing when you are full..

What about your sense of smell? After getting home I had to unplug my scentsy warmers. 22 days out and I still can't stomach strong smells!

I can tolerate flavours because I have too like the chocolate orange one if you do it cold enough and don’t leave it to sit is fine if you leave it then the orange gets a bit tangy in the back of your throat.
The chocolate cookie one I use hazelnut milk so its got more earthy tones going on there.
I also only ever use 150mls of milk and 1 and half scoops I make them thick and less liquid but still high Protein 35g per shake for my brand in that amount.
I ordered sample packs of the Syntrax nectar not been able to drink one yet super super super sweet.
I did order the juice phd ready to drinks they are these http://www.dolphinfi...ro-rtd-12/28810
They taste ok not sweet at all actually to me have a slight yogurt taste to them I liked orange best so I got a case so I can drink them when I am out or don’t want a heavy shake and would rather a ice filled juice drink and they are 40g of Protein per bottle I sip half of one over ice then a few hours later the other half to break it up and not waste the protein as you can only absorb a certain amount at a time.
If you’re in the us they have way more juice ready to drink options than the uk.
Just sample pack or single bottle anything you find look on ebay or stores or online websites for samples or e-mail them for single serving sample packs beats the heck out of paying for a massive thing and first sip your spitting out because they will not take it back!

Its kinda gross not a sweet tooth anyway so to have this sweetness in everything is yucky lol
Had to give away 2 massive pouches of Protein shake because I couldn’t handle how suddenly sweet it was not like them things are cheap either lol and ruined my trial size packs which I did before I bought the massive ones but nope tastes change wasted money!

Thank you so much everyone! For those of you who haven't been sleeved yet, just remember that the first few weeks are the hardest but dont' get discouraged! I thought I would never feel like myself again but just give it time, one day you'll wake up and feel better than you ever did before

OMG! Only 7 weeks? What a difference! Keep up the great work!

Hi everyone!!
I was sleeved April 17!! Starting weight was 268 and I'm at 203 now.... -65 pounds yay!! It's taken a lot of work and sacrifice but I'm loving my new life

I've had kidney stones too,but I drink so much freaking Water it's nuts.. But I had surg on April 24 weighed in before I got to hosp at 290 .no pre op diet IM now 205..85 pounds gone

Hello April Sleevers!!
I had surgery April 24, 12 & have lost 59lbs...wish it was more but unfortunatly I had a few complications. I am just feeling human again...I hemmoraged, transfusions etc 21 days in hospital over first 10 weeks. I have had multi kidney stone issues from not getting enough fluids etc.OUCH!!
I had "maladaptive malnutrition" from nothing staying down but Im now able to eat a few bites and keep down most of my liquid protein...it was a battle but I feel I am finally on the mend and loving losing weight...food no longer is the center of my world...I am so ashamned that food became my drug of choice...but thats another post another day. Gastric sleeve now rocks!!
Its all good
ps ...( I have enough hair coming out that I could make a full wig! lol)

Hiya Bellatrix...
I'm a Uk sleever... just over the boarder in sunny Wales! I'm 21mths out now and loving the new me! Any questions fire away... and good luck for the 24th!
x

Hi fellow UK sleevies! I'm having my sleeve surgery on April 24th in Leeds, I'm a revision patient as had a band which went horribly wrong after 18 months and I slowly gained the weight back as I was living abroad and couldn't get sleeve revision until I got back:( Looking forward to getting my sparkle back!
Got some great chewable Centrum from America off eBay so much cheaper than the bariatric chewables! So all set! Hope everyone is well,
B x

Hello Sleevers and soon to be Sleevers! This feels so funny to talk about myself but, I am so Happy...I wanted to share with you all. Especially, anyone thinking they are not sure they can take a chance. You need to believe in your surgeon and yourself. Best thing for me was my support, primarily my husband who has been to ever y appointment and both surgeries (yes I had a complication requiring a second surgery and setting me back...just a bit).
Friday I went to see my surgeon and wonderful supportive staff, including Nurse and Marketing Manager...yup, Marketing Manager who was walking by and the nurse called her in...she saw my success and asked if I wanted to apply to Model in the organization's upcoming "Fashion Show", can you imagine? OH MY??
I then stood up from the table to prepare to leave and she said "oh wow look at you, you are model material". I just about fell over. Annually the Western Bariatric Institute in Reno, NV hosts a fashion show using local vendors and featuring their success stories. Apparently they have so many, you must apply to participate. But, what the heck...I will apply and see what happens.
So, we walked outside and took a photo for the application and I thought, well I would post it next to a pic taken about 5 months before my surgery on November 1, 2011 and share with you all. I am looking for full body pics and will try to post those as well.
One thing that came from the check up, was that I told my nurse, I was a little concerned because I definitely can eat more and I get hungry more often. She wants me to stick with 1100 to 1200 cals daily and add a probiotic and keep up my exercise. So, the only change was to add a probiotic. All other levels were great and my potassium is coming up, slowly but surely.
Daily:
Bariatric Advantage (BA) multi, Orange flav
BA - calcium citrate, Cherry
BA - Vitamin B-50 Complex
BA - Vitamin D
Biotin - 2 daily, 5,000mcg
Omeprosol - 1 in am (PPI)
Potassium - 4 daily (40mg)
Probiotic - kerogen 2.4 billion CFU (all I know is it puts good stuff back in your gut)
One more thing.. I bought a pair of Tommy Hilfigger Capri Pants this weekend, and I asked the young lady if the outfit was to young for my age and she said "wow, your legs look awesome", "no way, your outfit is age appropriate". It was strange because the last time I really shopped jeans and such, we all wore high wasted pants. NOT THE CASE TODAY.
So, thanks for letting me share and hopefully, if you are someone researching your options, this may help even if in some small way. I just know, I never thought I would be this size, and feel this way again in my life. I am thankful to all the folks here on Vertical Sleeve Talk who are supportive and who share real stories so that we could make informed decisions to make changes to our lives.
Take care

Hello lisa... Great story. Any questions on your mind ask away. I'm 4.5 months post op -76 pounds down from my heighest weight is 298. No regrets, I feel great. This procedure has totally revamped my relationship with food. It is a process and it can be frustrating at times, but it is so worth it.

Hi Lisa, I'm new too. I'm still at the pre-op stage and I cannot wait to have my surgery. I am in the process of getting through a 6 month period which is required by my insurance. There is so much to do, so much planning and visiting with doctors, nutritionists and case managers that sometimes I feel completely overwhelmed but I know in the end it will be worth it.
Good luck on your journey and hopefully we can keep in touch.
Holly