stacy23

My son needed to borrow my car, so I had him drop me off at the gym. He said he would come back for me when I called. I worked out and was feeling so good, I decided to walk home. ( About a mile) He drove by and asked if I wanted a ride and I said, Nope, I'm good. and I smiled all the way home. He was pretty impressed with his mom. For the first time, I weigh less than my 17 year old son. I'm about half way to my goal, and I know I will get there!

My son needed to borrow my car, so I had him drop me off at the gym. He said he would come back for me when I called. I worked out and was feeling so good, I decided to walk home. ( About a mile) He drove by and asked if I wanted a ride and I said, Nope, I'm good. and I smiled all the way home. He was pretty impressed with his mom. For the first time, I weigh less than my 17 year old son. I'm about half way to my goal, and I know I will get there!

I try not to use artificial sweetner, maybe try adding a slice of lemon or lime if you need a little flavor in your Water.< /p>

Hello fellow sleevers,
just thought I would start a thread for all those who want to get to goal in 2012, regardless of where we are in the process.
I posted it the 'Slow Loser' thread, because that is what I am!! (I am not complaining by the way, just pleased to be a loser...lol)
For me to get there, I know that at 18mths out I need to be strict, accountable and have support from those in the same 'place', who understand that the sleeve isn't a miracle but a tool.
I have done well so far, but the weight hasn't 'melted' off me and since 6mths post op I have had to fight for each and every pound. At first it made me a little bitter, frustrated and I started to get into a 'dark place' about it, now the scale victory tastes sooooo sweet!
I have taken the month of December 'off'... I needed to rest from the constant worry of food, cals, Water, carbs and protein... my head was spinning and I was starting to feel very frustrated and overwhelmed at not being at goal again. I needed time out!
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas period and I have eaten what I wanted and when I wanted it; this includes ALL foods, no food was off limit and I let my sleeve do its job! The quantity was low but I still enjoyed every mouthful. Interestingly, I found that my cravings were satisified very quickly... 1 or 2 biscuits/sweets, and so on, hit the spot, instead of 5,6,7,... you get the picture. Subconscious damage limitation? I don't know but I like it!
I have learnt a lot by doing this. I now know that I can eat a little more if I 'try'... I know that I can enjoy food again without feeling guilty and I know that food doesn't have to be the enemy. So, with all that, what was the outcome? Yep, I have gained 2lbs above my personal bounce! Oops!
I am not, in the slightest, worried about this because I KNOW what is the cause... sugar and salt! And this time, I am sure it will come off as quick as it went on!
So, what is the plan?
Per my surgeon's instructions: I am going back to basics... yep that ole one...lol
3 meals a day - no snacking.
Weighing my meals between 6-8oz depending on what is on the plate.
Protein first, followed by veggies.
Plenty of water.
A limit of 1000 cals a day.
Continue with my exercise - boxing twice a week, gym in work 1-2 times a week (depending on work load) and walking my dog (just over a 2 mile circuit). The exercise is the only thing that I have stuck to in December... I actually enjoy it now!!

As a side note, and I ain't sure if my American friends can get this, but here in the Uk, on SKY there are a few fitness channels. I have recorded some aerobic workouts that are really good... they're free and can be done at home... this is saving me some money on classes and DVDs and if I don't like the workout I can delete and look for another!! Bonus!!
Ok, who is ready to join me on the final stretch to goal... hope on board and enjoy the ride my friends...

I think it's fair and honest to say you are having personal issues and while you appreciate the concern, you'd rather not go into detail.
No further explanation needed.

We were getting ready to head out to my oldest daughters Softball game, when my 5yr old asked, “Mom, are you wearing that shirt?”…..”I said Yes, why?” She laughed and said “Mommy, it is to BIG!” That made my day!!!! Guess it is time to go shopping!!

Dr Rupp from St Paul Surgeons did mine one year ago. It was the best decision I ever made. I lost weight very rapidly at first and now it has been very slow. I'm about half way to my goal. I haven't had any major problems. I had a hard time when I started loosing my hair, but it is starting to come back. I'm lucky I had really thick hair because I lost about half of my hair. It got really thin. I don't think it was very noticable to most people, but it was to me. The other thing I am still learning everyday- is that I may have a new body- smaller and stronger- but my brain is still the same. I still crave the same things- I usually can talk myself out of them, but sometimes I give in. So glad that now, a couple bites satisfies the craving and I can get back on track. I don't go to the support meetings, maybe I should. I think it would help to have the support .

So ... wore my new teal bra and matching paisley panties (14/16) today ... no one saw them, but I KNEW I had them on and felt "sexy" all day ... silly, I know, but that was one of my goals - matching sexy panties and bra!

How sweet. There is nothing more gratifying than a random compliment. You know there is no ulterior motive behind it.
I try to compliment people every chance I get. It costs nothing.

I have so many, but I guess my favorite is discovering I DO have a collarbone! Feeling my shoulders when I shower, it is so strange, it is STILL so strange that I feel 'boney'. I love that I can shop in the missy dept. Other than the 'big girl', mens or children stores, I can find something to wear in any store I walk into. The 'fat me' still giggles inside when someone calls me skinny, thin or small. Serioiusly, me???!!!! LOL I love it that my husband can pick me up and when we cuddle, he has said I'm so little sometimes he thinks I'm fragile. Nope, still the old me, just in a smaller package.
I can't imagine ever going back to that life and I can't imagine the head games we play ever going away. They do keep me on my toes though, so it's not bad!!!
I love this thread!

My son needed to borrow my car, so I had him drop me off at the gym. He said he would come back for me when I called. I worked out and was feeling so good, I decided to walk home. ( About a mile) He drove by and asked if I wanted a ride and I said, Nope, I'm good. and I smiled all the way home. He was pretty impressed with his mom. For the first time, I weigh less than my 17 year old son. I'm about half way to my goal, and I know I will get there!

Hi Nikki;
At two years out plus myself, I applaude you for your courage to speak.
Today I have learned how to "trick" my sleeve and get a lot more in than what I should. Now when I need to "lose" weight I kill myself for several weeks to get off one or two pounds which I see come back quickly. Wish I could say I'm stuck but not ready to give up knowing I could be happier with 5 lbs off me.
With a lower caloric intake as the new normal, it does take longer time frame to lose that excess weight. This is not like taking off pounds after surgery. My hunger came back at around 18 months (not everyone returns...lucky me.) While I am still under surgeons goal, I am 10 pounds above my lowest weight. Yes, I am still in a normal BMI range but the scale is stuck. So I am one size larger than at my smallest.
Nice that others advise to eat slowly, or Protein first...heck, I eat like I did before just in less volume. Think pre sleeve. My brain or emotions want food. The brain is a powerful thing, wiser than most of give credit to our emotional eating habits. I eat because I simply love to eat.
So today I still obsess over food, but I have tool to limit my intake. Still, I love my sleeve and have no regrets.
Hugs to you Nikki...nominate you as my hero today.

Hi all!
I want to share my story because I feel like things are "hopeless" again like they did all of those years I had been dieting prior to having my gastric sleeve.
I was sleeved in September of 2010 by Dr. Aceves in Mexicali. I had a wonderful experience there and would do it again in a heartbeat. In fact, I feel like I may need to do it again since the weight gain has started.
I started at 240 lbs and the lowest weight I got to, which was last year at this same time, was 150 lbs. At that time, I stuidly felt like I was losing too much weight, as I wanted to stay curvy, so a friend of mine who has had the lap band, suggested I find something high calorie to substitute my daily intake with so I was getting enough calories to not lose any more weight.
Being an emotional eater, this should have been a huge red flag for me, but here was an excuse for me to overindulge, so I took it. cheese was what worked for me. I ate a lot of cheese.. sometimes, nothing but cheese once I figured out it would go down easy. After that I moved onto processed crackers and Cookies, again, things that go down easily without getting full and without getting the sick feeling.
I weighed myself yesterday and I'm back up to 167 lbs. Two months ago I was at 163 lbs, so i'm rapidly climbing back up the scale.< /p>
I do go to the gym, was twice a week, but in the last two weeks i've bumped it up to 3 times a week. I do strength training with weights and cardio. I am fairly active on the weekends, as I am fortunate enough to live in an area where everything is either walking or biking distance.
The problem is, and i'm suspecting this will be most of our problem here on this site, is that we are emotional eaters. And it was great at first with the sleeve because you literally could not eat anything.. .or you were so afraid to eat anything that you just wouldn't eat it in fear of getting "that feeling" (you all know what i'm talking about).
I can take the literature and read it over and over... my doctor can send me emails and tell me what to do (eat your Protein first, dont snack, etc). In a perfect world, if I could do that, then I wouldn't have needed to have weight loss surgery in the first place. My brain tells me to eat for comfort, eat when you're happy, eat when you're sad, eat to Celebrate.... and the hard part is, now that I've figured out what I can eat with the sleeve, its becoming more and more difficult to overcome this feeling.
I have been in therapy for about 8 years trying to overcome this emotional eating issue, but its so easy to go back to what we know, rather than change it. Not making excuses... i'm just reaching out to others who may have the same feelings and eating disorder as I do... and maybe if we can get rid of that shame we feel by sharing with each other, we can overcome this need to eat to stuff our emotions. Because I do feel very shameful that I paid all of this money, risked my life in Mexico to have this surgery done... and now i'm sabotaging myself and undoing the very thing that I've wanted my entire life... to be thin and "normal". Whatever normal is...
If you haven't had the sleeve yet, please, make sure you get in tune with yourself with regard to the emotional eating, becuase although the first year or so of the weight loss is great! If you dont get your disorder under control, it will all come back, eventually.
I said at the beginning of this post that I feel hopeless, but by letting me share here, I do feel a little more hopeful than I did when I started writing this.
Thank you for listening.
Nikki

My son needed to borrow my car, so I had him drop me off at the gym. He said he would come back for me when I called. I worked out and was feeling so good, I decided to walk home. ( About a mile) He drove by and asked if I wanted a ride and I said, Nope, I'm good. and I smiled all the way home. He was pretty impressed with his mom. For the first time, I weigh less than my 17 year old son. I'm about half way to my goal, and I know I will get there!

My son needed to borrow my car, so I had him drop me off at the gym. He said he would come back for me when I called. I worked out and was feeling so good, I decided to walk home. ( About a mile) He drove by and asked if I wanted a ride and I said, Nope, I'm good. and I smiled all the way home. He was pretty impressed with his mom. For the first time, I weigh less than my 17 year old son. I'm about half way to my goal, and I know I will get there!

My son needed to borrow my car, so I had him drop me off at the gym. He said he would come back for me when I called. I worked out and was feeling so good, I decided to walk home. ( About a mile) He drove by and asked if I wanted a ride and I said, Nope, I'm good. and I smiled all the way home. He was pretty impressed with his mom. For the first time, I weigh less than my 17 year old son. I'm about half way to my goal, and I know I will get there!

My son needed to borrow my car, so I had him drop me off at the gym. He said he would come back for me when I called. I worked out and was feeling so good, I decided to walk home. ( About a mile) He drove by and asked if I wanted a ride and I said, Nope, I'm good. and I smiled all the way home. He was pretty impressed with his mom. For the first time, I weigh less than my 17 year old son. I'm about half way to my goal, and I know I will get there!

While I was at work last night I had a patient's family member ask me if I had lost weight. Very confused because I had never seen this person before, I replied "yes". She said that I no longer looked like the girl on my badge .

Hi everyone! Today is my 8th month surgiversary and I am down 50+ lbs!!! I know that's not a lot to some, but for me, "slow and steady" is the race I'm on. I'm 66 yrs. old and not much of an exerciser, so I'm happy w my slow pace.
So here's what I"m happy about:
1. I wear a size 12 (from a tight 18)
2. I look great in a bathing suit.....for an old broad.
3. I've cleaned out my closet and love my new organization. I've taken bags and bags to charity. I want to NOT buy so many articles of clothing from now on. I want to be selective and get some wonderful thing I love, wear the heck out of them, then donate and replace. I've realized that I have my favorite items and those few items is what I wear all the time. (that has nothing to do w weight loss.....just a point of view.)
4. I love the compliments I get.
5. Only my inside circle know about my surgery, so when someone sees me and remarks about my weight loss, I just say that I've been working on it for the last year. "It's been coming off slow, but I like it that way". I love my little secret!
6. I love the support of this board! I can't imagine going through this w/o the information I've gotten from this wonderful community!
7. I almost forgot......the love my new energy and love of life!!!!
What I don't like:
1. My hair is dull and I've lost lots of it.
2. I need a neck lift! I hope that will be my next treat to myself at my one-year.
3. I need a Tummy Tuck. Maybe the following year!!!
Lord Jesus bless all of you and continued success to all!!!! xoxo

I had a similar experience at a college football game this past weekend. Saw a guy in the stands I used to tailgate with, so I went and spoke to him. He had no idea who I was. Last time I saw him a couple years back I was 200+ lbs heavier. He was shocked. I felt good

OK, So this is too funny not to share. I went to the theater and saw an old client that I hadn't seen in a couple of years. This was the exchange:
ME: Hi Cosette. it's Zoe.
COSETTE: (Blank Stare back at me)
ME: Zoe, Zoe Walsh....
COSETTE: (Blank Stare back at me)
ME: (very slowly) Zoe Walsh from the vacation rental company...
COSETTE: (Continuing to Stare back at me while cocking her head to the side)
ME: (wondering if she's OK) you remember, we worked with your two beautiful properties....
COSETTE: (looking at me suspiciously) You're not Zoe....I know Zoe, you don't look anything like her.
ME: (laughing) Well, I have lost a little weight.....then I managed to convince her it really was me!
That was a first, actually I'm not sure it was a compliment (when things like that happen it's a reminder of how bad off I was before!) but it was pretty funny when it happened, she really didn't recognize me at all!

A really fun NSV surprise for me today. I was in our office kitchen eating lunch and noticed that I had my legs crossed. I did it without even noticing. I haven't been able to cross my legs in years! Woot!

(Sort of) an NSV for me... 15 days post-op, down 18 pounds; 83 total in 5 months. I met a guy on match.com shortly before surgery and today we finally were able to have our first date. (He knows I had surgery but not what kind.)
So guess what we did on our "date"... went SWIMMING!!! Yes, I was in a bathing suit on a first date with a guy!!! I was freaked out but he's been so complimentary of me it quickly faded. I can still wear my old bathing suits but it was nice not to have my belly peak out between my top and bottom. And I have complained about my boobs shrinking but now they actually FIT into the top and look perky and round instead of falling out all over the place! Big win for Kelly today!

Aww, Tiffy is that not the best?

Great NSV'S!!!

I was called "tiny" the other day by a girl I work with!! TINY??? I am far from "Tiny" but it was still an ego boost!! I guess from 354 pounds to 173 it is smaller!! LOL