alexb

My doctor said that the worst stretch he'd ever seem was due to carbonation and that his patients are never to touch it again. Just sharing!

My doctor said that the worst stretch he'd ever seem was due to carbonation and that his patients are never to touch it again. Just sharing!

I was sleeved June 5. I have a low BMI (33) and have lost 16 lbs since surgery. Definitely slow, but I started at 207 and am now 191. Since my goal is 135/140 I'm not complaining. At this rate, I'll be there in a year. But I just started solids and think that'll help speed up the process since I could eat almost any mushy in any quantity! Solids just STOP.

So I just started solid Proteins today...six weeks out. And let me say...I am finally understanding restriction.
I was super scared because on mushies and sifts I really felt no limits. Yes, I'd get full, but I didn't feel like anything was making me stop. Well today I ate steak and chicken at a hibachi place. And I am full to where I couldn't eat more if I wanted to without getting sick. And I couldn't be happier.
So for those of you who are able to eat anything on mushies...your sleeve help is coming! Protein first!

Dallas! Sleeved last Tuesday!

I am 7 weeks post-op and am eating lots of Protein. I have a least 1 Protein Shake a day made with silk. I eat baked fish, shrimp, lots and lots of chicken breast and turkey. Chicken and turkey deli meat. Snacks include weight watcher's light cheese sticks. I was at a bit of a stall, but added calories and it broke finally. Down 30 pounds and lots of inches.

Oh goodness. I understand where you're coming from. I'm pretty sure I kept weight on for years to keep men away. And yes it does become part of who we are. But what I've found is that we are the ones who attach it to ourselves, and not necessarily those around us. We might consider ourselves the funny fat one, but if we're lucky, our friends don't.
I have done this twice now. First with a band and lost 50 lbs (from 217 to about 265) and finally last Tuesday with a sleeve. So I have experience with life with restriction and then for the past year without. What I've found is that I feel more same with that one element of mylife under control. I was just like you...wake up, first thought, I'm fat. Before going to bed I'd be mapping out whatever diet Id pursue the next day (which never happened).
So here's my thought: I've watched my mother struggle every day of her life. Every little thing that goes into her mouth is carefully pondered, counted, etc. So I saw that as an option. The second option was to be fat and embrace it. And lastly, there was the sleeve.
I dont think being fat is bad, much to the chagrin of this skinny seeking nation. However, if health issues are brought about by this, then fat is a problem and luckily for you, the sleeve is a very viable option! I would go to the surgeon (as I did) with the least complications and highest success rate to avoid anything bad from happening. And I'd follow his orders to a t. Mine makes us do Clear liquids for three weeks which sucks! But guess what, all the nurses at the hospital are amazed by how successful he is.
In the end, whether we're fat or thin...that doesn't make us us. What's inside does. Cliche, yes. But hopefully true.
Best of luck.

I think that sometimes people who don't struggle with weight and eating related issues forget the mental component that for me was the biggest help. I was banded in 2008 and the band came out in 2010 because it had slipped. I thought 'I can do this on my own now' but I was wrong. I was either killing myself at the gym or starving from whatever diet I convinced myself would work that week. But the biggest change I noticed and the main reason I opted to have a sleeve (sleeved June 5) was that mentally, I felt more stable when i had my food issues controlled. By eliminating the constant thought of 'what will I eat next' or 'gosh, they only see me as fat', I was able to grow more as a person. And i admire people who have that natural self confidence that for me required now two operations. But I wouldn't trade the way I feel with the band, or now the sleeve, for how crappu I felt without it.
Point is, I only had about 65 pounds to lose at my heaviest, but it doesn't matter. Everyone has their own cross to bear and a number on a scale doesn't necessarily make it harder. If someone wants to change their life positively and permanently, and they are truly prepared to put forth the effort, then their true supporters will step up and stand by them.
I hope my rambling helps!

Dallas! Sleeved last Tuesday!

Hi there. I'm about as far out as you and am actually not permitted to have anything but Clear Liquids for three weeks. I would say that if you are feeling discomfort for any reason, take a step back. Go back to things like Protein and milk mixed so that they easily go through a strainer. And when you are ready, try again. The main thing here is to listen to your body. Not everyone swells at the same rate, so it can be more difficult for some while easy for others! good luck