GiGi3

I have made it six months. So far, minimal hair loss. All reports I read say Hair growth should regenerate after six months. So I am hoping I am past the "you are going to lose some hair phase". I have been religious taking all my Vitamins and minerals EVERY day.

I am down 60 pounds. It feels amazing being able to purchase pants in regular stores. It feels great being able to put my pants in the dryer without the fear of them not fitting when they come out. No more "hanging" my pants to dry. I am pleased when I see myself in photographs, I no longer cringe.

Very, very few people know that I had gastric sleeve surgery. Just feel like it is my own private journey. I find it interesting that many friends are "concerned" how much more weight I am going to lose. "You look perfect now". Funny how they never asked me in the past: "How much more weight do you planning on gaining?".

I focus on not sabotaging my weight. It is easy to have that glass of wine, or that handful or two of chips now. I remind myself I have been given an extreme weight loss tool with this surgery. It gets tiring refusing to let other people sabotage my weight, "Oh come on, you can have one cookie". I work on staying focused. I like how I feel now, I like how I can cross my legs now, I like that I don't have anxiety walking into a room.

My co-workers and such who do not know, constantly ask me how did you do it? I tell them I don't have the answers. I have done many things. Mainly, eating very little. It does amaze me now how much others eat. As had I, people have lost the concept of what a portion is.

Thanks Curvy!

Annie, oh I don't think it is shallow about the hair issue. It worries me, I just keep eating healthy and down those Vitamins every day.

I just took the road that my stomach was going back to it's original size. I have my hair colored to my "original color", what is the difference??!!! =-)

Advice---get an excellent doctor, research, ask around. I have not had one issue since day one.

Keep your eye on the prize. Doesn't sliding into those new smaller sizes feel absolutely fantastic? Stop all your bad habits right now, you can do it. Feed your brain with positive thoughts. When you feel your brain going down that lane of Starbucks, just stop it immediately and fill it with a desire for a glass of Water. Train your brain to go down another lane. Just do it.

If I have calculated correctly I am in my 11th week post op. Gosh, it feels a lot longer than 11 weeks.

I feel great! I don't miss my old life of over-eating. I do love that I eat regular food now. Nice to fit in the healthy foods rather than all that Protein drink, yogurt, mashing everything up and such. My body feels so much better and is operating as it should (no need to go into detail with that---plumbing is finally working well with no help).

I am down 43 pounds, that was last week. My hair is still healthy. Taking all my Vitamins everyday religiously.

People are now noticing. I really don't like the attention. There are three people at work that know what I did. Everyone that asks, "what are you doing?" I tell them the truth, "eating healthy, Portion Control, no alcohol, no chocolate and getting my walks in". I don't feel the need to spill my story. It is my own personal journey.

I still continue to eat my tiny portion way too fast. I am pretty much done in a few minutes. Seriously, how in the world does one make a few tablespoons last 30 minutes??! After I finish I have gotten into the habit of setting my timer for 30 minutes, when I can drink. It is all working for me. I am determined.

Yes, I get to that crummy part of the scale when it decides not to move for a week or so. I have learned not to let it bother me. I understand what is going on, so I just don't worry about it.

Saw my doctor a few weeks ago. I am scheduled to see him again in four months. Since he is far away he was willing to Skype my visit, but I didn't want to. I want to see him, I want to stay on the band wagon. I feel if I keep visits every four months or so for awhile I will stay on course. I am sure most of us have that fear of regaining. I don't want to ever go there.

I have no regrets. I love the journey I am on.

I second guessed myself all the way through rolling myself into the operating room. I don't think I've met anyone who hasn't had some sort of second thoughts about it.

I thought I was the only one that did that!

Why would you want to? Why begin the sabotage?

Before my surgery I was a two glass of wine every night person. Do I want to sabotage, or do I want to be of normal weight?

I will go without the wine.

Getting to a normal size really is pretty simple. Portion Control, exercise, and eat healthy. We fatties are the ones that make it complicated.

You look great! Bravo to you!

Bravo!

I think I had a food funeral for about three weeks before I had to go on my liquid diet. Then I actually got sick of my food funeral and was ready to give it all up.

Enjoy the food of the holidays. I agree with Lorraine.

I think some things are easier, but there are a whole host of other obstacles that come along. That doesn't mean you won't do well, I sincerely hope everyone does. I am only here to help, and I think any obstacle can be overcome. But the first step is to not panic. That is what I read in the OP, that her surgery was not done properly because her sleeve was too big. There was a follow up post by another person expressing the same panic. And there are similar posts every day. My message to them was calm down and be objective.

You are probably a very nice person =-) As a customer service rep, I won't ever use the words calm down when someone is upset, that will just put a whole new spin on things.

What I am learning from here quickly, research your surgeon. Research your surgeon! I went to another state for mine. I have some of the top hospitals in my area, but I decided to go with my friend's surgeon. He has a passion for helping people, he is not in it just for the money.

This has gotten ridiculous.

I have been on this site for a long time, reading everything I can, and butter has never been anything but helpful and informative. If you don't understand sarcasm and aren't able to control your own snotty remarks and refrain from accusing someone that is just trying to help, then perhaps this site really isn't for you. There are other sleeve forums, and they certainly are not one size fits all, so maybe there is a better one out there for some of you who are so incredibly offended by butters joking.

Seriously, enough with the drama. If you don't like something, leave. Last I checked you had to be an adult to have this surgery so we should all act like it from here on out.

Why did you feel the need to stir the pot again?

How far out are you? Easy street? Do you know what you are talking about? No. Wait till your restriction is gone and your capacity to eat has doubled or tripled and you go from losing 20 pounds a month to 5. And your sleeve can tolerate any sort of food with no upset. It's work. Not easy.

Actually so far it has been great. As I have said three or four times now, what I meant by easy is that my gosh it better be easier living with a sleeve for a stomach after several months, than it is in the very beginning when a newly sleeved person is nervous about everything they do. I have a friend that had the surgery one year ago, she is my inspiration. She leads a normal life, healthy life and is happy. I had an excellent doctor, I haven't had one little issue, and I expect that to continue. Positive thinking my boy, that is all I got.

I certainly hope that when you reach 8 months or a year out you can consider yourself on "easy street." i find that my life is 10x the struggle it was when i was a month or so out.

As I said before...easy street and intense street. Easy Street, I just meant that you are obviously more comfortable with your sleeve than people that are newbies. I will consider myself on easy street when I get to eight months. That is just the kind of person I am, I have already decided that I will feel that way. It is not an option.

I certainly didn't mean to stir up anything.

I do appreciate anyone's advice. But there is a big difference between not sugar coating health advice and taking a direct dig at someone in a very sarcastic, mean spirited way for something they said that they were doing to better themselves. I feel there is no need or room or that on this forum.

Yes....butterbean.....keep you advice hear for all to benefit from.....but please keep the snide remarks to yourself. Please remember many of us (especially new sleevers) haven't gotten over our self esteem issues as you may have and we take anything said personally to heart.

Thanks.

want2live-- have a great day today!

'Easy street?' Oh, how wrong you are. There is nothing easy about working hard to regain our health. We may be past the 'ouchy' part of the surgery, but the real work begins now. I wish you all the success when you get to several months out because that is when the hard mental work really begins, and many people fail, because it IS intense.

I used Easy Street because you are more comfortable with your sleeve because you have been living with it awhile vs newbies that are intense and nervous about their sleeve.

I didn't mean to be. The OP literally asked for advice and then got upset when I gave mine. She then played the "support" card which is silly, since she wasn't asking for support, but rather, information. I only try to help but I don't sugar coat. I would but I'm no good at it.

Maybe you need go back to the file in your brain from your first few weeks. It can be overwhelming.

Nothing wrong with sugarcoating in the first few weeks, I think beginners need that. Even though I asked my doctor why he thought patients had problems and his answer was doctor error most of the time. I still get nervous I am not following every thing I need to be doing, and something is going to go wrong. I am going to check my "diet meal plan" for week 2, 3 and 4 again today. I was hardly eating anything the last week and suddenly I am eating more (3 tablespoons a day vs 5 tablespoons a day), it feels easy going down. Yes, we all get nervous about gaining weight in the beginning.

It is easy being several months out, years out. You are on easy street. We are on intense street.

If Butters 'get off the ledge' offended you, then just ignore that and take the healthy advice that he gave you. However, many of us here know Butter's style and that's how he writes, with a little humor injected throughout his posts. His supportive advice is posted all over this forum and I for one am glad that he has stuck around to help us.

How sweet so many of you know Butter's style. Not. There is no excuse for harshness at a support forum. Maybe he needs to read what he wrote before he posts, notice the poster and not just a routine comment that he would give people that "know his style".

I found no humor when I read his posts. I just read it as mean spiritness.

Keep us posted.

It is a serious operation. Call your doctor if you are not comfortable with what is going on in your stomach.

ouch butterthebean. A little harsh, eh?

I am 17 days out. Today I was drinking Water so much better. I feel good about that. I was nervous that last week that I was going to get dehydrated. I am finding the first couple of weeks many changes are going on.

Have you been walking? Got to get that gas out. Walking is going to do that.

The amount of energy I have.

I'm two days post-op and still very, very sore. It's great to read your post. I don't regret it at all, things have gone pretty smoothly, but I'm ready to feel better.

You should have no pain by the end of the week. This was a breeze for me after having three c-sections 20 some years ago. I even asked my doctor after day two if he really did anything to me! Keep us posted Jenny. Hope you feel better soon.

Is leakage actually a side affect of weight loss? Will that go away when I lose weight? If so, I'd be ECSTATIC! It's so so so embarrassing!

Mine went away immediately. Having 80% of my stomach removed, puts less weight on your bladder.