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My BMI is now just considered obese! Have lost 39% of my excess body weight in 9 weeks!! Hell yeah! This is the best thing I have ever done for myself! Lovin my sleeve

65 lbs down in almost 3 months
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Yep. It happened. By far, my best NSV so far.
I was pulled over today for failure to use my turn signal. I handed him my info and he stood there looking confused but didn't say anything. (This happens a LOT when people see my license which was at my highest weight) he walks back to his car without saying a word and a couple mins later another patrol car pulls up. They both get out, talk for a minute and walk over to my car....long story short, they thought I provided 'false identication to a police officer' I explained that I have recently lost about 80 pounds and dyed my hair. Luckily I had my passport in my glove box, and the photo was taken a out half way to goal.
I was given a 'fix it ticket' which states I have 10 days to report to my SOS (or DMV as it is in most States) for a new photo, or pay a fine. No ticket for the turn signal though

I always liked seeing photos pre op...hell I still like to see them now. So here you go!
I just under 9 months out and down 172 lbs (about 20ish pre op). I follow the 600 -800 calories/+60 protein/+64 oz fluid/-40 carbs. I haven't really exercised and maybe walk a couple of miles a week. I am overall more active and I do plan on starting regular exercise soon. I have had off plan days but I can count the number of "cheats" on both hands. I wanted to get to a normal bmi quickly and this is what has worked for me. I am a few pounds away from "normal" and want to lose about another 20. Enjoy!
Before/Size 24


9 Months/Size 10

It's official!....I no longer need to shop at Lane Bryant! I was in Nordstrom Rack today with a friend and where do I head as soon as I walk in the door - PLUS SIZES! And then I picked out about 10 tops in a 1x...my friend kept telling me - you are NOT a plus size anymore! But in my mind I still am (was) and I took the clothes to the dressing room. YEP - they were all too big! And shockingly not just by a little! I was shocked and very surprised! Do you mean to tell me that I can go back to looking and shopping in "regular" stores! Talk about a great day and incredible NSV!!!!! Wwwoooooooo-hooooooooo!

I got it!! I got the approval for the sleeve!!! Here we go again. I'm going to wait a few more months just to make sure my stomach has fully recovered from the damage that the lapband did to my stomach. Yay!! ♥♥♥

We had no pre-op diet. By 'we', I mean those in my group at the obesity clinic. I was the only one to have the sleeve surgery. Everyone else went for the bypass. My only direction beforehand was to try and lose 10kilos before surgery time (about 5 months).
We were also directed differently than most for after the surgery.
Clear liquids while in-patient,
then 2-3 days of fluids (soup/puddings),
2-3 days soft/pureed,
then to regular (super-small portions) food by week 2
Good luck!!

Awwww...u guys are great! Thank u so much for your understanding my frustrations with the sassy one. Lol. Maybe it was the missing morning bran that had her in an uproar over my lack of knowledge of "forum rules". Oops! But Can't say that it won't happen again though. Lol
I can't delete my profile so I guess I'm here to stay. and I'm glad cause u guys r great! Had a really nice conversation with someone on here that really made me thankful I'm here to learn and share.
I'm doing this from my phone too so bear with me

I want to thank everyone on this site that have been so supportive and have provided me with hours of entertainment when it was really important for me to connect with people who knew exactly what I was going through.
I want to thank those who have enough confidence to reach out to me for advice and are genuinely appreciative of what I have to say.
I want to thank my employer for being so supportive and providing me the financial means to actually be able to afford this surgery and take a genuine interest in my well-being.
I want to thank my skilled surgeon for taking such good care of me and has always made sure I never felt like I was left on my own to figure things out.
I want to thank my partner of nearly 9 years for supporting me through this process unconditionally because he knew this felt like a matter of life-and-death to me.
I want to thank me... well, for once doing something for me, no one else...

It has been a while since my last post. I've been thinking about yall though! I am coming up on my one year anniversary and have been very reflective lately. First the good news. I am currently down 97 lbs. I went shopping Saturday and found myself in a size 12. My goal size! Yeah! I have gone from a 24 to a 12 in less than a year. How amazing is that? What's more amazing is how I feel. My two sons (50 lbs and 30 lbs) came home from the lake after spending a weekend with their grandparents. When they got home, I scooped them both up and started carrying them to the house. I made it to the garage (Dont be impressed. I teach in Texas. I dont have a big house. It was a pretty short trip). I was dying. When I put them down I thought to myself "****, I used to carry more than that every time I walked.". There is no description suitable enough to tell you how that AHA moment feels. I hope each of you have one at some point. Now the bad news. I am able to eat WAY more than I used to. It freaks me out. I know a lot of drs say you can stretch your stomach back out. I read an article the other day that said several drs did some research on sleevers that are 5 yrs out. They said none of their pouches had stretched. In all the patients studied, the pouches were leathery and couldn't stretch, the problem is how they eat. They learn how slowly to eat and just eat more. After reading that article, I think they are right. I paid more attention to how I ate and I find myself resting and going back. That was my bad AHA moment. Maybe though, now that I know, I can fight it. Anyway, my 1 year is on March 6th. Here's hoping I can say I've lost 100 pounds.

I was just getting around after my 9 am surgery. The minute I woke up, I thought (and said out loud) what in the heck did I just do to myself? I was in so much pain and so so thirsty. A friend had told me - even if you don't feel like it - get up and walk. That's what I did, almost non stop. I was ready to feel better and go home. Each day got easier and easier, I tracked everything I put in my mouth. Everything. It made me feel like I had some control over what I was going through.
Over time I started getting compliments, you look great or wow you've lost some weight. I look back now and yes, I had lost weight. What I think was so noticeable though was I was smiling - a lot. I didn't ever see my self as unhappy pre-surgery, but I was. I can admit it now. How could I not be? Who is happy with themselves at 368 pounds??
Today I still believe - 1 year later that I made the absolute best decision of my life. Not because I can shop at any store (but I can and its fun!!!) or that I don't have to worry about how the chairs will be wherever I go. It's because I feel great and I'm healthy. I'm happy and I am becoming the person I've always wanted to be. I wouldn't change a thing.
HW: 368
Pre: 368
Height: 5'6
Today: 204

First thing to remember is not to compare yourself to anyone else. NO ONE has your body, your genetics, your stress, your mindset, your daily life. So you are comparing apples to turnips, if you compare yourself to others here on VST or anywhere else!
Next, by my calculation, you are 9 weeks post-op and you've lost close to 36 lbs! This is 4 lbs/week. When was the last time (before your surgery) you were able to lose 4 lbs/week over a 9 week period (even with a 6 week stall?). Never, I'll bet!
Your body is trying to work through the major assault it has been subjected to. The VSG is a significant trauma to your stomach, and the anaesthesia and post-op recovery is a huge insult to the rest of your body. Give it time to react, adjust and heal!
Stop weighing yourself and concentrate on making sure you track your fluids, your Protein intake and seeing/feeling how your body is reacting to the subtle changes in your diet. You are slowly moving towards a more "normal" eating pattern. Pay close attention to what your body tolerates, what it doesn't like, how you feel when you eat certain foods, how eating at a certain time of day impacts you, how not drinking enough slows you down, etc.
There is so much to pay attention to right now......don't let the stupid scale take all your attention and motivation away. The weight will drop off, if you stay on track..........it's mathematically impossible for it NOT to. But it won't happen on a schedule, it won't be linear, there WILL be stalls that you just can't seem to break. STAY THE COURSE. You will get there.
VST is full of posts just like yours. You are not the first to go through this, you won't be the last and you are NOT alone, even right now! But we're all here to help, to listen, to give advice and to let you know that you will be successful. You just have to believe it, and LIVE it.......it will happen.

I am three months out and I had a couple of friends and family members asks EVERYDAY
They weren't "haters" they were just stupid:p
But really I just told them that this is already such a hard process on its own, and they were only adding more pressure by asking everyday...
Now we talk about other things.

Hi all,
I promised I would post when I reached 12 months out, so here it is...I started out at 240 (highest) and lost 4lbs on the pre op diet. My last weigh in was 169, for a total loss of 71 pounds in a year. I'm very happy with that, and the last few months have been slower in terms of loss, but it's still coming off, so I can't really complain. My birthday was on 2/14 and my husband surprised me with a birthday/valentine's day/belated honeymoon (we got married in 2009) trip to Kauai this past week, and I gained about 3.5lbs, but it was worth it! I'm already back on track with my eating and working out, so I'm sure that vacation weight will be gone in no time. My ultimate goal is to get down to 140, but I'm starting to wonder if that's realistic...I'm attaching a few pics for your enjoyment --thanks for reading!

Hi all -
I've been thinking about coming here and telling my story for some time. Today it's a cold, snowy day so I thought I'd get to the task. When I was pre-sleeve it seemed these boards were mainly populated by those who were pre-sleeve or weeks to months out. So with being over 2 years now, I thought I'd give you my story. It might help someone make a decision.
First, I could have had my surgery a year sooner than I did. My insurance began paying for the sleeve 3 years ago but I dragged my feet out of fear. It wasn't one thing I was afraid of, but many little things. The surgery itself, the horror stories you hear of failed results but mostly the idea of giving up food. I went through life wondering why I was so fat. At my highest, I got to over 365. I kept saying I didn't eat that much and I didn't deserve to weigh that much. Well, guess what. I was right. That's probably been the absolute best thing about having this surgery. There was a sort of validation that I wasn't crazy. I really didn't eat that much and I really should never have been 365 pounds. So the biggest fear of having to give up food didn't even happen for me. I can still eat anything I want. That might make some people who are saying "yea, that's me so why bother" think the surgery was of no value. But it absolutely was. Here's how it all played out:
My plan made me diet and lose before surgery. So I dieted from 365 down to about 300 "on my own". Then, during the first 6 months of healing I was extremely restricted. During that window of time I went from 300 to about 240. Those who have been there can understand how little loss that was for a six month window where I was taking in less than 600 calories most days. I hated all the Protein drinks, experience dumping if drinking something "not diet", and survived mainly on tuna and egg substutite. But now I am so glad for that window of time because that was about it for me. I'm now, as of this morning, at 232. I am still "fat". But I no longer stand out in a crowd and feel so much better. And I know that without that forced window of healing, I would have never gotten here and stayed here. Don't fight that window of time. You will come out of it and be back to where you are in control. For me, that was 'being sleeved'. That window was the only rough time of this and I wish I'd have understood that then. Now I'm just back to normal, but there's less fight to have to stay where I am.
Diet wise, I eat extremely low carb for as long as I can stand it and then I take a day off. Fish, chicken, green veggies, eggs, some cheese and beef about once a week. I've found my balance and as much as I don't like it, it is all about the carbs for me. With a full stomach, I could not stay extreme low carb for more than 4 or 5 days. Now I can do it for about 7 or 8. Then I take a day off. I am not that "perfect person" who came out of this reformed and chewing on broccoli for satisfaction. My day off usually consists of one or two pieces of pizza, a piece or two of cake (the type you make with diet soda and no icing) and something crunchy salty. And a big salad with carrots, peas, beats, and all the veggy things that are more complex carbs, but a higher level. It's a day long feast that I sort of graze through. Love every bite. Then back to the low carb where I do chew on broccoli.
And that's the positive. I feel like, for the first time in my life, I will stay just a little fat. My doctor has said that if I have the skin removal for stomach and arms, I could easily settle in about 185. I'm fine with that. And I hope to have those two surgeries next year. (Working on saving the money now.) This tool has made my life time of dieting actually effective to keep me only moderately fat. And I don't miss a thing. It's almost surgical will power. I built the habit of eating low carb and sticking with it before the surgery. This just makes it easier.
I still get hungry. I envy those who don't.
I do a pretty good job on taking the supplements, but at about 18 months I started letting up on it some. If I miss a day here and there I don't worry about it. My labs are good, so I try to not sweat the details.
I experience dumping pretty bad. It lasts about 2 hours if I eat something too sweet or rich. It's not fun. Even when I was heavy I had low blood sugar issues and I think my having such an issue with dumping is all tied together with my natural low blood sugar.
It's hard to explain what "full" feels like but it's not like the old days. That might be the only thing I miss. Every now and then I'll find myself wishing I could feel the old full one more time.
For me, this ended up being far less earth shattering than I expected. I do regret the wasted year, but I am glad I waited for the sleeve instead of gastric bypass. This is the truth. I have two friends who did gastric bypass a couple of years before I was sleeved and they have aged so hard compared to me. Yes, they've lost more weight but I wanted healthy as a side effect of the surgery and they don't look nearly as healthy.
When I read here before people had named their sleeves. I just call mine my stomach because this surgery just made me feel normal. Well, at least as far as my stomach is concerned. : )

I just looked at my license and realized I actually weigh less than what I lied about when I got it last year. That's a first in my life.

Why should I feel obligated to tell you?
Why should you feel entitled to ask?
It is my choice, not yours, what I elect to explain about my private life.
I don't have "secrets." I have privacy. And that is my right.
I did have someone ask me yesterday why I was not eating the pre-Thanksgiving Breakfast that was served at work. I said it was not on my nutritional plan. They then asked what I was doing to lose weight. I told them that I eat Protein first and exercise. That is truthful. Should I then launch into a detailed disclosure of everything that I did/do and why? Hell no.

Lack of food makes us cranky...lol...

I agree. We are here to support each other through good and bad. None of us can verify any of our stories since this is an online forum. I don't really know what someone has to gain by posting a fake experience, other than to try to sway others from having VSG. You have to make up your own mind anyway, not rely on others to do that.
I have read those threads too, and they make me wonder if I really want to be on this forum. But there are some great people on here that make up for that. That being said, I would be deeply hurt if I poured my heart out and was accused of lying. And I wouldn't come back.

Hi,
I'm not a big fan of overly sweet shakes. My favorite Protein Powder is Syntrax Nectar chocolate Truffle. I don't find it overwhelming sweet but sometimes I add more low carb milk to cut the sweetness or use just 3/4 of a scoop. It works for me.
~Dana

Woke up and my former fat girl anytime knock around sweatpants are (drumroll.....) falling off!!!! Not falling all the way to ankle but loose and not wearable!!!!! Yay!

I lost 154 pounds a decade ago through diet and exercise. I had a Tummy Tuck then and excess skin doesn't generally weigh that much.

I lost 70kgs a decade ago with diet and exercise. I had a Tummy Tuck and excess skin really doesn't weigh all that much.

I set a goal without taking excess skin into consideration. My understanding is that not only is there a wide variance on how much loose skin patients will have, people often overestimate how much that skin weighs.
Although my goal is 190 (my lowest adult weight), I'd love to be at 165. I already have a lot of loose skin so I know that I'll need plastic surgery to have the kind of body I've always wanted. I figure I will lost these last 20-30 pounds then have a consultation. If they remove 10 pounds of skin, great. Otherwise, I'm going to be happy whatever "extra" weight I lose through the process.
So I guess the short answer is, no, I'm not counting the excess skin to be removed into my weight loss goal.