jennyblue111

I was sleeved in August. & I can relate to all I've heard so far. As for me, I got off Prozac about 2 months ago, & am trying to not medicate (all Dr. regulated). I can tell a big difference in what I call my "Oprah" eating~ emotional eating. When I feel out of control or unwanted emotions, I'm definitely leaning on food for comfort for the 1st time since surgery. I can't really binge b/c i simply can't hold that much, but i find i continually graze, & I'm definitely not using food as fuel like I should. I've lost 75lbs; these last 2 months I've gained for the 1st time. 5lbs.
The good news.. I have a place I can tell on my illness..here, my Dr., my accountability partner, family, & friends. & telling on it is HUGE for me. These days binging consists of bad food choices like 1 ice cream bar, 5 Dove chocolate squares, 2 servings healthy trail mix, 2 servings of granola, 1 serving of Kettle chips, a roll.. individually, not together, cuz my stomach only holds so much. So it's not nearly the binging sizes or bad choices it used to be! & 5lbs in 2 months.. Although that was traumatizing mentally, to gain instead of loose, I'm learning my surgery was not a life cure, it was just a do-over, & I need to use my post-surgery program, support, & common sense the rest of my life!
This surgery was the best thing that ever happened to me physically, mentally, emotionally. It's a do-over not a cure. I'm a human being; I need to give myself a break sometimes. & I need to use the tools I have gained to stay healthy mentally, emotionally, spiritually..& physically. I get out of it what I put I to it.
I wish u all the best. You'll get amazing things out of it too.. as long as you do the work. & if u have small moments in time u do t feel like doing the work, don't beat yourself up. & if u have long moments, seek help.

I go through the same trepidations about concentrating on body concerns at the expense of spiritual priorities. My conclusion is that body, soul, and spirit are all connected and that improvement in any one of them will help the rest. I personally feel the pleasure of God with me because I did this "temple maintenance". My spiritual life has improved as well as my mental and emotional elements. It certainly makes it easier for others to relate to me, which in turn makes it easier for me to be a good witness of His kindness.
Yes, my body looks better. I believe the only time that improving appearance becomes a detriment is when it takes priority over loving others. You can make yourself a god or improve yourself as a thanks to God for life. You are grateful for what He has given you, you take care of it.
What if a billionaire gave you a beautiful house? If he would return in 2 years and find it run down and neglected he would think that you are not grateful. If instead he found it beautified he would think that he made the right choice.
You have the money. Enjoy your life!

The typical number that I see is six months to a year after reaching goal or stable weight, as our weight continues to redistribute some once we have stopped losing and the skin can shrink and bounce back a bit. About the time that I reached goal weight, I started working with a trainer with my wife and noticed how much the skin on my back was folding up when moving around on floor mats, but that was not a problem a year later (it had either tightened up some or I had learned how to avoid the problem or likely some combination of the two.) Likewise, at around the same time I had new seats put into my racecar which were a snug fit as they are supposed to be, but a year later I was noticing that they were looser on my butt even though my weight hasn't changed in that time (but my shape has!)
Like many things in life, this is a compromise between what may be optimal and what circumstances and individual tolerances, preferences, timing and funding may permit.

Technically I guess we could google "how much fat is in a va jay jay" and then get a study done on yours before and measure the difference. I fear I may never stop laughing. I'm just waiting for someone to tell me I'm immature because it's a serious question. And it is. But.....

I suggest going to a Bliss spa, if there is one near you. It's expensive, but the blue wax they use is painless. If I could see down there I would by the poetic waxing kit (that's what it's called) and just do it at home. I used to go about every six weeks. The staff was nice and very professional. As I got heavier, they would sometimes ask me to help out by holding up the panny and stuff, but other than that no problems.
I plan to go back once I hit my mini-goal of 225.

I'm a hairdresser @ an Aveda salon, & was sleeved Aug1. As I hairdresser I've seen the hair loss in sleeve, band, & bypass clients,w/bypass clients being the most extreme. I'm waiting to see what mine's gonna do.
Taking Vitamins regularly (have your Dr. check your bloodwork), keeping your Proteins way up, & keeping hydrated from the VERY BEGINNING is way important. The less shock your body goes into, the better your hair will be! Even if u don't have Hair loss, the texture might get drier. Try Aveda Damage(or Dry)Remedy Treatment Masks.
If you're experiencing hair loss, try the new Aveda Invati System-shampoo, cond., & spray for the scalp. It works best when u use all 3. It will definately help u stop loosing as much & help u regrow what u lost. If u go on Aveda.com, u can watch testimonials, but I've seen it 1st hand.
I can also tell u, when people start to loose hair, they get nervous about touching it. The worst thing u can do is not touch it. Your scalp needs to be stimulated! (Remember the old '100 strokes before bed' tale). So, Shampoo it vigorously, brush it well, massage it regularly, & stimulate those follicles!
Unfortunately, everything u put your body through can affect your hair. Some bodies react worse to the shock than others. Anesthesia alone can cause your hair the fall out or get dry, if you're sensitive. The trick is to stay on top of the damage. Hair color can make it feel thicker, & lighter colors don't show the scalp as much. Aveda color is 97% natural, so it's very safe for this purpose. Long hair can feel like more hair loss than short hair, so a shorter cut might make u feel better about it & make it look fuller. I wouldn't recommend perms @ all in this stage of the game.
Feel free to message me if u have any hair questions, I don't always check back w/the posts. Good luck, & hope this helps someone.

I started off at 270, and if you look at my before pictures, you will notice that I was extremely round and carried all of my weight in my upper torso with a large portion of my weight sitting in my abdomen.

Because of my weight loss results with VSG, and my intense ab/core workouts starting around 5 months post op, my abdomen has shrunk immensely, and I no longer have the apron. I have a little fat roll on my lower abdomen with some excess skin, but essentially my stomach has shrunk up significantly. If someone would have given me the option to have just my tummy fat removed or VSG, I would have chosen VSG.
I won't ever have a flat tummy without plastics. I had a severe c-section, and my scar stretches from one side of my lower abdomen clear to the other side right about my pubis bone.

I'll never get rid of the little flap without plastics, but it has lifted, tightened and shrunk immensely in 11 months. Least to say, when I stand in front of the mirror, I have zero issue seeing my private area. Before, I could not see it because of my hanging stomach fat. I was pretty much shaving blindly, now it's so much easier to maintain certain areas because I can see everything. I do not wear any shapers, girdles, or anything of the sorts at this point.

1st off, are you losing weight? If so, don't sweat it. All of us have a different experience.
I think I can eat more than many sleevers, but, I have lost about 130 pounds since April 1. So, just keep yourself in control. The key is learning the difference between being full and being satisfied. We aren't trying to be full. Just satisfied.
Good luck on your journey.

I'm a hairdresser @ an Aveda salon, & was sleeved Aug1. As I hairdresser I've seen the hair loss in sleeve, band, & bypass clients,w/bypass clients being the most extreme. I'm waiting to see what mine's gonna do.
Taking Vitamins regularly (have your Dr. check your bloodwork), keeping your Proteins way up, & keeping hydrated from the VERY BEGINNING is way important. The less shock your body goes into, the better your hair will be! Even if u don't have Hair loss, the texture might get drier. Try Aveda Damage(or Dry)Remedy Treatment Masks.
If you're experiencing hair loss, try the new Aveda Invati System-shampoo, cond., & spray for the scalp. It works best when u use all 3. It will definately help u stop loosing as much & help u regrow what u lost. If u go on Aveda.com, u can watch testimonials, but I've seen it 1st hand.
I can also tell u, when people start to loose hair, they get nervous about touching it. The worst thing u can do is not touch it. Your scalp needs to be stimulated! (Remember the old '100 strokes before bed' tale). So, Shampoo it vigorously, brush it well, massage it regularly, & stimulate those follicles!
Unfortunately, everything u put your body through can affect your hair. Some bodies react worse to the shock than others. Anesthesia alone can cause your hair the fall out or get dry, if you're sensitive. The trick is to stay on top of the damage. Hair color can make it feel thicker, & lighter colors don't show the scalp as much. Aveda color is 97% natural, so it's very safe for this purpose. Long hair can feel like more hair loss than short hair, so a shorter cut might make u feel better about it & make it look fuller. I wouldn't recommend perms @ all in this stage of the game.
Feel free to message me if u have any hair questions, I don't always check back w/the posts. Good luck, & hope this helps someone.

It wouldn't be bright red if it was coming from your stomach. Bright red means fresh. It's most likely a hemroid or an anal fissure (tear- from straining) , but just to be sure, call your doc.

Haven't from eating. Did from drinking too much too fast. Barfed on the dog. Felt really bad about it. Sorry Millie!

I got a prescription @ inject myself.

I bought some lentil crackers and ate them (chewing them silly) during my mushy period. Someone said they have less ruffage than whole wheat but I liked them and they added some Protein. I also got some of Annie's very cheesy rabbit-shaped cheese wheat crackers (think goldfish crackers health-food style). Now I am on fairly normal foods and am eating some whole wheat crackers with things like tunafish or cheese (or both). Saving some whole wheat with pumpkin seeds for when eating seeds and nuts are okay.
They really satisfied that need to crunch. Tasty, too.

I am now the proud owner of 2 bottles of acid reducers & a bottle of stool softeners. Shopping for these things makes me feel totally geriatric @ 38. New experience.

I'm a hairdresser @ an Aveda salon, & was sleeved Aug1. As I hairdresser I've seen the hair loss in sleeve, band, & bypass clients,w/bypass clients being the most extreme. I'm waiting to see what mine's gonna do.
Taking Vitamins regularly (have your Dr. check your bloodwork), keeping your Proteins way up, & keeping hydrated from the VERY BEGINNING is way important. The less shock your body goes into, the better your hair will be! Even if u don't have Hair loss, the texture might get drier. Try Aveda Damage(or Dry)Remedy Treatment Masks.
If you're experiencing hair loss, try the new Aveda Invati System-shampoo, cond., & spray for the scalp. It works best when u use all 3. It will definately help u stop loosing as much & help u regrow what u lost. If u go on Aveda.com, u can watch testimonials, but I've seen it 1st hand.
I can also tell u, when people start to loose hair, they get nervous about touching it. The worst thing u can do is not touch it. Your scalp needs to be stimulated! (Remember the old '100 strokes before bed' tale). So, Shampoo it vigorously, brush it well, massage it regularly, & stimulate those follicles!
Unfortunately, everything u put your body through can affect your hair. Some bodies react worse to the shock than others. Anesthesia alone can cause your hair the fall out or get dry, if you're sensitive. The trick is to stay on top of the damage. Hair color can make it feel thicker, & lighter colors don't show the scalp as much. Aveda color is 97% natural, so it's very safe for this purpose. Long hair can feel like more hair loss than short hair, so a shorter cut might make u feel better about it & make it look fuller. I wouldn't recommend perms @ all in this stage of the game.
Feel free to message me if u have any hair questions, I don't always check back w/the posts. Good luck, & hope this helps someone.

Uhhh....milkshakes are not on my post-surgical diet plan. Period.
If I want something that reminds me of a milk shake, I drink an ice cold chocolate Muscle Milk Lite...8 oz has just 100 calories, its sugar free, and packs 15 grams of Protein.
Its all about making healthy choices

I started adding chia seeds to my Protein shakes about 5 days ago. Within 1 day everything was back to normal. I can't believe how much better I felt. I was skeptical at first, but those little seeds make a world of difference.
I paid $15000 earlier this year to have ours bathroom completely remodeled and by God I want to enjoy it, not sit in there and suffer.

I'm a hairdresser @ an Aveda salon, & was sleeved Aug1. As I hairdresser I've seen the hair loss in sleeve, band, & bypass clients,w/bypass clients being the most extreme. I'm waiting to see what mine's gonna do.
Taking Vitamins regularly (have your Dr. check your bloodwork), keeping your Proteins way up, & keeping hydrated from the VERY BEGINNING is way important. The less shock your body goes into, the better your hair will be! Even if u don't have Hair loss, the texture might get drier. Try Aveda Damage(or Dry)Remedy Treatment Masks.
If you're experiencing hair loss, try the new Aveda Invati System-shampoo, cond., & spray for the scalp. It works best when u use all 3. It will definately help u stop loosing as much & help u regrow what u lost. If u go on Aveda.com, u can watch testimonials, but I've seen it 1st hand.
I can also tell u, when people start to loose hair, they get nervous about touching it. The worst thing u can do is not touch it. Your scalp needs to be stimulated! (Remember the old '100 strokes before bed' tale). So, Shampoo it vigorously, brush it well, massage it regularly, & stimulate those follicles!
Unfortunately, everything u put your body through can affect your hair. Some bodies react worse to the shock than others. Anesthesia alone can cause your hair the fall out or get dry, if you're sensitive. The trick is to stay on top of the damage. Hair color can make it feel thicker, & lighter colors don't show the scalp as much. Aveda color is 97% natural, so it's very safe for this purpose. Long hair can feel like more hair loss than short hair, so a shorter cut might make u feel better about it & make it look fuller. I wouldn't recommend perms @ all in this stage of the game.
Feel free to message me if u have any hair questions, I don't always check back w/the posts. Good luck, & hope this helps someone.

I'm a hairdresser @ an Aveda salon, & was sleeved Aug1. As I hairdresser I've seen the hair loss in sleeve, band, & bypass clients,w/bypass clients being the most extreme. I'm waiting to see what mine's gonna do.
Taking Vitamins regularly (have your Dr. check your bloodwork), keeping your Proteins way up, & keeping hydrated from the VERY BEGINNING is way important. The less shock your body goes into, the better your hair will be! Even if u don't have Hair loss, the texture might get drier. Try Aveda Damage(or Dry)Remedy Treatment Masks.
If you're experiencing hair loss, try the new Aveda Invati System-shampoo, cond., & spray for the scalp. It works best when u use all 3. It will definately help u stop loosing as much & help u regrow what u lost. If u go on Aveda.com, u can watch testimonials, but I've seen it 1st hand.
I can also tell u, when people start to loose hair, they get nervous about touching it. The worst thing u can do is not touch it. Your scalp needs to be stimulated! (Remember the old '100 strokes before bed' tale). So, Shampoo it vigorously, brush it well, massage it regularly, & stimulate those follicles!
Unfortunately, everything u put your body through can affect your hair. Some bodies react worse to the shock than others. Anesthesia alone can cause your hair the fall out or get dry, if you're sensitive. The trick is to stay on top of the damage. Hair color can make it feel thicker, & lighter colors don't show the scalp as much. Aveda color is 97% natural, so it's very safe for this purpose. Long hair can feel like more hair loss than short hair, so a shorter cut might make u feel better about it & make it look fuller. I wouldn't recommend perms @ all in this stage of the game.
Feel free to message me if u have any hair questions, I don't always check back w/the posts. Good luck, & hope this helps someone.

ROFLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL which part of "lifestyle change" do you not understand????????

Sorry, but I need to add in one more correction... "assless chaps" is redundant. What other kind of chaps are there?
(this is actually a running joke in my office... you'd be amazed at how often the phrase "assless chaps" comes up...)

On a serious note....and in the hopes of, perhaps, helping one person... I know I've posted this before (multiple times, actually...so forgive me, if you've seen it already), but, I HIGHLY recommend reading the book "The End of Overeating". If you're wondering why you're craving high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt foods (and Nacho cheese Doritos is DEFINITELY one of those!), this book will explain it to you, in very simple terms. The food manufacturing companies (and my apologies to the person who works for Frito-Lay) intentionally manipulates foods, searching for the perfect combination of fat, sugar, and salt, in order to trigger a chemical response (in our brains) identical to that seen in drug addicts. Yes...IDENTICAL. food, literally, becomes the "drug of choice"....and we get sucked into a cycle of dependence (explaining our need for weight loss surgery). The more I read, the angrier I became....and the easier it became for me, before and after my surgery, to say NO to unhealthy, over-processed foods that were, literally, killing me. Please....if you're struggling with craving unhealthy foods (or, really, anything processed, and high in sugar, fat, and/or salt), give this book a read. It has truly made my post-surgical journey MUCH easier....because I understand the process going on in my brain, when I hear that little voice screaming for things I really shouldn't be eating.
Wishing us all great success!
Laura

BahhahaahA. ha! Oh, that was great! I love it! There are just some things I hope to never have the desire to put in my new stomach & new lease on life, that basically cost me the price of a new car! Why on Earth?!