kelliv

Well tomorrow is my 12 month sleeve anniversary. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I started at 107kg and am now 74kg. BMI was 41 and now is 27. Was size 18-20, but now 12-14. No longer have sleep apnea or need to sleep with a CPAP machine and far less likely to develop diabetes. Still have a few kilos to go to get to my personal goal of 68kg, but feeling positive and looking forward to working on maintenance plan. For anyone contemplating the sleeve as a surgery option I only have positive things to say about it and hope it becomes more widely used in future.

Don't stress too much on weekly losses, it all adds up. Your body is just adjusting to the new regime. i had stalls from week 3 onwards every couple of weeks, but the weight will keep coming off if you following your instructions and make good food choices along the way. Relax and enjoy the ride down.

Don't stress too much on weekly losses, it all adds up. Your body is just adjusting to the new regime. i had stalls from week 3 onwards every couple of weeks, but the weight will keep coming off if you following your instructions and make good food choices along the way. Relax and enjoy the ride down.

Don't stress too much on weekly losses, it all adds up. Your body is just adjusting to the new regime. i had stalls from week 3 onwards every couple of weeks, but the weight will keep coming off if you following your instructions and make good food choices along the way. Relax and enjoy the ride down.

Don't stress too much on weekly losses, it all adds up. Your body is just adjusting to the new regime. i had stalls from week 3 onwards every couple of weeks, but the weight will keep coming off if you following your instructions and make good food choices along the way. Relax and enjoy the ride down.

Nearly 2 years out I too get hungry and need to eat every 3 or 4 hours, but if I eat Protein of low GI foods it helps.

Hi guys, sorry I haven't been around for a while. I do read the posts as they come on my phone. I have been living my life lol. Well today is my 12 month mark!! I can't believe it's been 12 months haha. What a journey to have made. Getting my sleeve done was the best thing I have ever done. Here are my stats from last year and today:
3/6/2013: Weight: 135.1kg...
Bust: 128cm
Waist: 130cm
Hips: 152cm
NOW for TODAY:
3/06/2014: Weight: 89.4kg
Bust: 104cm
Waist: 99cm
Hips: 114cm

All up I have lost 53.1kg that is from the first day of my pre op that was 2 weeks long. Plus overall I have lost 165.5cm over my body!!! Look I haven't done as good as I should have over the last 2 months but that's ok a I'm only human. And here's to the next 12 months
Oh and for those of you who have PCOS well there is light at the end of the tunnel.......I have been told I no longer have PCOS I only have PCO which is great!!! My ovaries are normal and my husband and I have started our second round of IUI to have our first child, so watch this space

Well done to everyone who has had their sleeve done you are all doing great!!! And good luck to everyone who is going to get it done soon. It was the best thing I did for myself.

Cheers
Bec

Hi Kelly, Misty,and Lissa, I have had a break from the forum for a while, it was making me obsessive. So have just come back recently. I would love to see you all again some time you were all very inspiring for me. I am at goal now and turned 60 last month. For any body interested here are my stats
Highest weight - 5/6/2013 - 106.1kg
Surgery weight - 7/8/2013 - 97.7kg
Current weight - 27/5/2014 - 57.9kg
Goal weight - was never given one
Total loss since highest weight - 48.2kg
Height - 167 cm
Surgeon - Dr Greg Nolan at Pindara.

Hi everyone - It has been a while since I have checked in and it is great to see some new names and to still see some old ones - Lissa, Kelli, Misty ... sorry if I have missed others.
I am coming up to two years and had my annual visit to my surgeon last week. I am pleased to say that I am still maintaining around 60kg - I have been as low as 58 but as high as 61 (start weight 103kg - 167cm tall). I must admit that I was a bit disappointed that I was 2kg heavier than I was last time I weighed in at the surgeons but I think I was a being a bit neurotic! I keep thinking that is the best dream I have ever had and I am going to wake up and find it isn't real!
I don't always make the best choices when it comes to food and my commitment to exercise has been minimal (at best!). I guess the operation didn't promise to make me a perfect human being!
The things I love about my life now are:
People seeing me ( I am not invisible anymore)
I want to see people and meet new people!
My increased confidence
My new calmness
My new wardrobe
My new agility
How food just doesn't mean that much to me anymore
The weight off my shoulders (figuratively and literally!)
My knees aren't sore anymore
I don't snore (as much!)
I feel younger
I feel more feminine
I am healthier
The funny adjustments that I went through during the journey :
Not being able to see that I had lost weight when I looked in the mirror
The shock of feeling my bones under my skin
The thrill of being able to cross my legs and how my limbs felt very long
The seat on a plane feeling really roomy
Not being recognised
The down side (nothing I would ever trade for my weightloss!):
Still have to take Nexium
Still on an Iron supplement (but I think this is more stage of life related rather than weight loss related)
The hair loss ( but that does grow back)
The extra wrinkles and a bit of loose skin (I am very lucky that this is minimal)

Good question, luckily I don't have much, just the flabby arms and thighs, but I am happier with that than being overweight any day. If I needed to I would consider cosmetic surgery to help, but it's a a big decision and a far bugger op than the sleeve surgery, plus very expensive no not a decision to be taken lightly.

Loose skin is only an issue naked. I looked like crap naked before and even with loose skin and saggy boobs I look heaps better. Id rather be healthy with loose skin around my belly than fat and unhealthy. I am not gung-ho about plastic surgery but it is on the table if I decide I want to pursue it. My loose skin has not held me back at all. I'm wearing size 6-8 or small. Started at a 22. Running 20 km per week.

My 2 year sleeversary is coming up soon on 14 August and I feel a little like I should be part of a different thread for 'old' sleevers but I really like this group and haven't felt the urge to look at other threads. Yes there are a lot of newbies on here, but I like the fact we are all Australian and iI think it's good for people at all stages in their journey to share with in another.
Everything Lissa described in her update is exactly the same as I am feeling. I started at 107kg and it took 12 months to reach 71kg and that's where its stayed since. I haven't really been trying to lose more but I would dearly lover to be in the 60's. If I was more vigilant about the little daily treats I am sure I could lose those extra few kilos, but frankly I am not feeling pressure to do so. I am also in a job which requires almost daily entertaining and travel and am surrounded by food challenges at every turn. Thank goodness now I have this wonderful tool which restricts my I take. I am still getting used the new much smaller me. I think it takes a long time for your mind/self image to catch up with your body changes.
I still get excited when I:
I easily cross my legs
Have a photo taken
Fit into a seat on a plane or at the theatre with room to spare
Don't have to worry that a chair will be strong enough or that I will be able to get out
Buy a size small in clothes
Have to get extra holes in my shoes straps as they are now too loose
Have a side plate size meal and am comfortably full
Enjoy favourite foods without feeling deprived
And the list is endless........
I am thankful every day that I did this and to my sleep specialist who recommend I do it.
I am still building up my new wardrobe one piece at a time virtually from scratch. I don't have one thing left from my original wardrobe I could possibly wear. Even some things I have had taken in or bought in size small are now too big. Although I haven't list any more weight lately my body shape is still changing and it's back to my alterations lady this week.
You all sound as though you are doing really well, regardless of what stage you are at and I do pop in here and catch up on your stories from time to time. If you are finding things difficult rest assured this will pass. If Lissa could get through her initial drastic traumas and come out the other side so positive then we can all do it.

My 2 year sleeversary is coming up soon on 14 August and I feel a little like I should be part of a different thread for 'old' sleevers but I really like this group and haven't felt the urge to look at other threads. Yes there are a lot of newbies on here, but I like the fact we are all Australian and iI think it's good for people at all stages in their journey to share with in another.
Everything Lissa described in her update is exactly the same as I am feeling. I started at 107kg and it took 12 months to reach 71kg and that's where its stayed since. I haven't really been trying to lose more but I would dearly lover to be in the 60's. If I was more vigilant about the little daily treats I am sure I could lose those extra few kilos, but frankly I am not feeling pressure to do so. I am also in a job which requires almost daily entertaining and travel and am surrounded by food challenges at every turn. Thank goodness now I have this wonderful tool which restricts my I take. I am still getting used the new much smaller me. I think it takes a long time for your mind/self image to catch up with your body changes.
I still get excited when I:
I easily cross my legs
Have a photo taken
Fit into a seat on a plane or at the theatre with room to spare
Don't have to worry that a chair will be strong enough or that I will be able to get out
Buy a size small in clothes
Have to get extra holes in my shoes straps as they are now too loose
Have a side plate size meal and am comfortably full
Enjoy favourite foods without feeling deprived
And the list is endless........
I am thankful every day that I did this and to my sleep specialist who recommend I do it.
I am still building up my new wardrobe one piece at a time virtually from scratch. I don't have one thing left from my original wardrobe I could possibly wear. Even some things I have had taken in or bought in size small are now too big. Although I haven't list any more weight lately my body shape is still changing and it's back to my alterations lady this week.
You all sound as though you are doing really well, regardless of what stage you are at and I do pop in here and catch up on your stories from time to time. If you are finding things difficult rest assured this will pass. If Lissa could get through her initial drastic traumas and come out the other side so positive then we can all do it.

Hi everyone,
Sorry it has been so long since I have posted. It has been ridiculously busy here. So many changes!!
For those of you who don't know me, here are my stats:
Starting weight - 173kg
Date of surgery - 4.9.12
Months since surgery - 21 months
Current weight - 76kg
Surgeons Goal weight - 93kg
Goal weight - 69kg
Height - 175cm
Exercise - I have this ongoing issue with exercise. I do really well for a while and then it all falls in a heap. But I wonder if that isn't normal I make sure that I do my weight training and basic yoga exercises (about 20 minutes) every day but I had been running but that has fallen by the wayside recently.
food - I am going to be really honest. I do not make awesome choices every time. I try to make good choices most of the time but to be honest some days are better than others. I worry about this sometimes but again, when I think about my friends who are normal weight, they do the right thing most of the time and have little "splurges". It is funny, but I get really concerned by eating foods that used to be a problem for and tend to try to avoid them at all costs. My main weakness is flake chocolate. It has been forever. I can't eat much (one small piece at a time) but I have some pretty much every day. I am still losing weight which is great. I probably would lose more faster at this stage if I exercised more and skipped the chocolate but I am not really all that worried about that. It is more that I get concerned I will fall back into bad habits.
I wonder if this is something other sleevers experience?
I wonder if I fear that it is all too good to be true and it will go back to the way it was before. It's been almost two years but I still live with this concern.
I admit that I weigh myself every day (I know, probably not healthy). I don't make food decisions based on the scale but if I have several days in a row, I look closely at my food journal to see if there is a pattern that I should be concerned about.
The flip side to this is that I still forget to eat lol. You would think I had learned by now, but I almost passed out at work today. It was not just that I hadn't eaten yet today but the fact that I haven't been eating properly for several days. I have been stressed and busy (explanation a little further along) and I just haven't been hungry. Plus I have mostly been eating steamed veggies this week because they don't seem to cause me any nausea, like other foods have been. Anyway, I know it was my own fault what happened today but it was a good wake up call that I have to take better care of myself.
So the reason for the stress and excitement is that I got a new job promotion, this time back in QLD working in Toowoomba and I move on WEDNESDAY!! It is so exciting and I am very pleased but it has been very busy on this end getting things ready both at work and at home.
Finally, the other exciting news is that I am going on a holiday to Fiji in July. Before the surgery I would never have gone but now I am so excited about looking for a wardrobe to wear whilst I am away and I am already thinking about where else I would like to go in the future!!
I think that is the thing that the sleeve has done for me - the barriers that I have put on myself most of my adult life are now gone. I have to challenge my "old" thinking and try new things and it is thrilling, exciting. I am so pleased that I had the sleeve, even though it was a sucky beginning to things, but my life is so much better now, I still find it hard to believe!
So for those of you new sleevers - congratulations and welcome. I found the first few weeks incredibly hard but it will get better.
For those of you on the forum who are thinking about it, know that we often talk about the difficulties on here but we often forget about the triumphs and it can give a skewed perception of life post-sleeve. I can't tell you how much better my life is now - and it is worth every second of difficulty to get here.
For those of you that are interested, here is a current photo and a before shot
Wishing you all the best and looking forward to catching up with you soon!!!
Best wishes, Lissa

Hello, sorry I haven't checked in for ages. Life has got in the way. We moved from Brisbane to the Gold Coast last November and I started a new job. I've been travelling interstate and to NZ regularly and entertaining almost daily. I am very pleased to report that I have not put on any weight and am still down 38kgs. I still want to lose another 3 kilos and know that if I cut out the treats such as alcohol and Desserts it would probably come off. I will focus on this at some point, but for now I am enjoying life and still loving shopping for new clothes. I hope everyone is doing well and would appreciate hearing how you are going if you are already at maintenance phase.

Would love to arrange a catch up with anyone local. I had lap band in 2008 but I ran into problems in Dec 2012 and had my band out (which had stuck to my liver!!) in April and sleeve done in June 2013. I was really successful with my band but am about 5 kgs less now than I was in my banded days.
All in all I am glad I am were I am tody ad not where I could have been. Email me and say hi if you like :-)

Hello, sorry I haven't checked in for ages. Life has got in the way. We moved from Brisbane to the Gold Coast last November and I started a new job. I've been travelling interstate and to NZ regularly and entertaining almost daily. I am very pleased to report that I have not put on any weight and am still down 38kgs. I still want to lose another 3 kilos and know that if I cut out the treats such as alcohol and Desserts it would probably come off. I will focus on this at some point, but for now I am enjoying life and still loving shopping for new clothes. I hope everyone is doing well and would appreciate hearing how you are going if you are already at maintenance phase.

Hi Hayley my husband and I were sleeved 22/10/13 in Brisbane with Dr Lockie. We did lots of research and decided that he was the Dr along with his team that best suited us. We were living over seas and came back to Aus for the surgery. My husband has already at goal and I still have 25kg to go. So I know it works because I am living with the proof. We were interested in the band at first but decided against it because of the upkeep ie fills etc we wanted something permanent that once it was done we could get on with our new healthy lives. Which we are doing. Good Luck to you and I look forward to hearing about your journey.

I'm booked for sleeve surgery on 30th May and have just found out that APRA have approved the early release of some of my superannuation funds!!! Yippee!! I am so happy because this was all I was waiting on. I have private health insurance so I don't need that much but now I have the go ahead - very excited and scared. It was Mother's Day here yesterday and I didn't realise how big I was until I saw a picture taken of my mum and I - wow! just awful but next Mother's Day I will be bangin!!

Hi I'm I'n Victoria booked for sleeve 30 th may can't wait !!!

All the best with that, I live in Sydney Australia, been married 18 years overweight basically since I was 18 years old battled up and down, and all I dream for now is to have this surgery so I can live again, I suffer from back pain knees have had it also , and I have an old Treadmill injury (Anckle) that won't go away so I've tried to exercise, but I mostly need this surgery for my children's sake I want to be able to move again and play with them, I have 5 wonderful kids and a loving husband who loves me for who I am, but I said to my family I need to do this for me.

Hi everyone, tans for your comments re radon for choosing a sleeve. My reasons are virtually identical to mine. All great reasons. Got quote for anesthetist today. Only $500 gap as my private health fund covers the bulk, so very happy with this. My surgeon Is more expensive than soe others at $5,900. I am hoping to get about $1,000 of that back.
Went shopping today and bought:
Gourmet baby food for purée stage (beef & chicken with vege)
Bamix stick mixer
chocolate & vanilla Optifast
Mini packs of variety of V8 juice
Benefibre
One week until start of 2 week preparation.

Hi all, I'm new to the site. I'm scheduled for my sleeve on the 8th of April in Victoria with Ray McHenry. I'm on day 6 of my pre op diet and have slipped up with a piece of fish today I was at a party and felt like I had to eat something. Anyway straight back onto it now. Great reading everyone's experiences on here