LilMissDiva Irene

:bananahuge: :bananahuge: :bananahuge: :bananahuge: Sorry... one giant dancing banana just isn't enough!! CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!

So I FINALLY made my way to the Bod Pod. Work has settled down and after working nearly an entire month on my Fridays off I got one to myself. Yahhh!!! Anyway, I met some amazing outstanding folks at the Vacaville Golds Gym. They made me feel so welcomed, and geesh if I lived there that would definitely be my workout spot. More on that later, here are my results: Fat: 35.3% 64.0 Lbs. Lean: 64.7% 117.3 Lbs. Total: 100% 181.3 Lbs. (I lost some weight yay!!) How I measure up (per Bod Pod Composition Test Results Page): Risky (High Body Fat) >30% Men >40% Women Explanation: Too much body fat can pose serious health risks. Ask your health care professional about how to safely modify your body composition. Excess Fat (I'm smack in the middle of this!!) 21-30% Men 31-40% Women Explanation: Indicates an excess accumulation of fat over time. Moderately Lean (29% will be my first goal!!) 13-20% Men 23-30% Women Explanation: Fat level is acceptable for good health. Lean (Will be my Ultimate Goal <22%>) 9-12% Men 19-22% Women Explanation: Lower body fat levels than many people. This range is excellent for health and longevity. (Sounds like exactly the place for me!!) Ultra Lean (A bit too much for me) 5-8% Men 15-18% Women Explanation: Fat Levels sometimes found in elite athletes. Risky (Low Body Fat) <5% Men <15% Women Explanation: Too little body fat can present health risks, especially for women. If in doubt, check with your health care professional. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My next goal is to get my total Body Fat to 29%. I am quite pleased by my results! I have come a long long way and to just be deemed as having excess fat now is quite the achievement. However I'm also glad I finally got myself to this appointment so now I know for sure I still have some work to do, and well that's exactly what I'm going to do. The trainer who helped me, Michele was so nice! We went over a few things as soon as my tests were complete. I asked her what she thought I could do to reduce the body fat while trying not to lose so much lean tissue. Wow!! And I have to say I'm quite impressed with how heavy my lean tissue is! So my thoughts were correct that I am a "heavy girl". 117 Lbs of me is all muscle, bones and organs. Not sure how I compare to anyone else who is 5'7 but I really thought it could be more around 100 Lbs of lean tissues. Not only that, per their scale (which was midday almost at that) weighed me in at more than 1.5 Lbs less!! Yippeee!!! Anyway, we were talking and I was describing my workout routines for her. Her eyes literally bugged out of her skull and she exclaimed that I do far more than most. That's funny because I always feel like I can do more. She said my workout routine is excellent. The only things she suggested I can do is do at least a little bit of weight training 2x per week. She said that is quite enough, and if I'm up to it, perhaps taking some swimming lessons. She said that burns enormous amounts of fat and will get me lean, no problem. Then we met with the Swim trainer, who has had RnY by the way 4 years ago. She was incredibly nice! Once I'm healed from my procedures I plan to have a few swimming lessons with her to get me to learn it properly. So with that, I move onward and downward. I imagine a lot of fat is going to be removed with my liposuctions. I hope 6% worth!! :lol: Source: The BOD POD

WLS Do’s and Don’ts DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!! DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next: DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op. DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can. DO celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it. DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own… DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples: DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do! DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go. DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses. DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!! DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now. DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!! DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences. DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc… DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could! DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life! And finally… DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance. DON’T EVER GIVE UP. I don’t think any explanation is necessary here. Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind. Source: Weight Loss Surgery DO's and DON'Ts

Thanks again everyone!!! Xoxo @OregonDaisy, I feel exactly the same. Though I would've loved to have Dr. Cirangle do my sleeve it just wasn't in the cards for me. I wouldn't even say I took second best - as Dr. Aceves is just as skilled and wonderful. @coops, Big Hugs!!!! From accross the pond of course...

So I FINALLY made my way to the Bod Pod. Work has settled down and after working nearly an entire month on my Fridays off I got one to myself. Yahhh!!! Anyway, I met some amazing outstanding folks at the Vacaville Golds Gym. They made me feel so welcomed, and geesh if I lived there that would definitely be my workout spot. More on that later, here are my results: Fat: 35.3% 64.0 Lbs. Lean: 64.7% 117.3 Lbs. Total: 100% 181.3 Lbs. (I lost some weight yay!!) How I measure up (per Bod Pod Composition Test Results Page): Risky (High Body Fat) >30% Men >40% Women Explanation: Too much body fat can pose serious health risks. Ask your health care professional about how to safely modify your body composition. Excess Fat (I'm smack in the middle of this!!) 21-30% Men 31-40% Women Explanation: Indicates an excess accumulation of fat over time. Moderately Lean (29% will be my first goal!!) 13-20% Men 23-30% Women Explanation: Fat level is acceptable for good health. Lean (Will be my Ultimate Goal <22%>) 9-12% Men 19-22% Women Explanation: Lower body fat levels than many people. This range is excellent for health and longevity. (Sounds like exactly the place for me!!) Ultra Lean (A bit too much for me) 5-8% Men 15-18% Women Explanation: Fat Levels sometimes found in elite athletes. Risky (Low Body Fat) <5% Men <15% Women Explanation: Too little body fat can present health risks, especially for women. If in doubt, check with your health care professional. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My next goal is to get my total Body Fat to 29%. I am quite pleased by my results! I have come a long long way and to just be deemed as having excess fat now is quite the achievement. However I'm also glad I finally got myself to this appointment so now I know for sure I still have some work to do, and well that's exactly what I'm going to do. The trainer who helped me, Michele was so nice! We went over a few things as soon as my tests were complete. I asked her what she thought I could do to reduce the body fat while trying not to lose so much lean tissue. Wow!! And I have to say I'm quite impressed with how heavy my lean tissue is! So my thoughts were correct that I am a "heavy girl". 117 Lbs of me is all muscle, bones and organs. Not sure how I compare to anyone else who is 5'7 but I really thought it could be more around 100 Lbs of lean tissues. Not only that, per their scale (which was midday almost at that) weighed me in at more than 1.5 Lbs less!! Yippeee!!! Anyway, we were talking and I was describing my workout routines for her. Her eyes literally bugged out of her skull and she exclaimed that I do far more than most. That's funny because I always feel like I can do more. She said my workout routine is excellent. The only things she suggested I can do is do at least a little bit of weight training 2x per week. She said that is quite enough, and if I'm up to it, perhaps taking some swimming lessons. She said that burns enormous amounts of fat and will get me lean, no problem. Then we met with the Swim trainer, who has had RnY by the way 4 years ago. She was incredibly nice! Once I'm healed from my procedures I plan to have a few swimming lessons with her to get me to learn it properly. So with that, I move onward and downward. I imagine a lot of fat is going to be removed with my liposuctions. I hope 6% worth!! :lol:

Tell us: What was the largest size you've ever worn (even before surgery) AND What size are you NOW??? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My largest Sizes: 3-4X Tops, 28W Pants, 12 Panties, 42D Bra, 8.5 Ring, 10.5WW Shoe... Me today: S-M Tops, 6-8 Pants (4's too tight but getting there!), 6 Panties, 34B-C Bra (Will be bigger next week... ), 5.5 Ring (Getting too big now), 9M Shoe...

This deserves a repeat!! Thanks girlie!!

WLS Do’s and Don’ts DO remove the word ONLY from your vocabulary. Ex: I’ve ONLY lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks… Now let’s look at this again without the word ONLY: I’ve lost 10 Lbs in 2 weeks!! See what I mean? Perception is reality folks!! DON’T assume you’ll never eat all of your favorite foods again. This is just an excuse your brain has designed to allow you to indulge. You WILL eat all your favorites again someday, just much less but find it to me more enjoyable. Which leads directly into the next: DON’T do the “last meal” syndrome. You will only sabotage your weight loss you might have pre-surgery or set you back further from your ultimate goal post-op. This surgery is very serious and is for the serious minded. Use this time wisely to get the feeling of how life might be like post op. DO learn all of the rules pre-op that you will endure post-op. Such as, no drinking with meals, using smaller utensils and plates, engaging in some type of workout routine, limiting your sugar and sodium intake, joining as many WLS support groups as you can. DO Celebrate every single pound lost! Imagine one pound of butter. Yeah… that’s gone from your body forever. It is noteworthy and worth every bit of a pat on the back as any others that may go along with it. DON’T compare your successes and losses to others. Chances are very high that you will only come out on the short end and only find yourself disappointed. Everyone’s journeys are their own… DO keep track of your losses in many different ways than just the scale! Examples: DO keep one set of your largest clothes you’ve ever worn. Make it a point to try them on, especially when you’re having a down moment. You will find this will really pick up your spirits! This is a real rollercoaster of a ride, and anything that will keep you positive is what you should do! DON'T keep any other fat clothes around. Get rid of them ASAP. You're never going to fit them again, right? So... off to donations they go. DO take photos of yourself just before your surgery. Keep them close. Again, having a bad day? Look at them and compare them. As a matter of fact, take photos of yourself often. You will also find that the more you lose, the more you will want to take pictures. Nothing wrong with that!!! That goes with celebrating your losses. DO take measurements of yourself often. Keeping track of all your inches lost will really keep you on the right track when your scale is being stubborn!! DO reward yourself every time you hit a mini goal. Make some more worthy than others. I like to go shopping when I hit a goal, it is my favorite thing to do now. DON’T let the scale define you. Great majority of us will endure many fluctuations and stalls in this journey. It is what it is… patience is the key here. Meditate and envision yourself months down the road at your goal. Smile, then move on!! DO find out about measuring body fat! It’s more than just weight loss, FAT LOSS is the real goal here. Keep in mind that the BMI scale is greatly inaccurate and most Health Studies do prove this. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) our body fat % ranges should be average: 25-31% for Women and 18-24% for men. Any higher is considered obese. However it does go more in depth, according to ages and more. Everyone has different genetic make ups, frame sizes and fitness levels... even a different ethnicity can post differences. DO have many goals in sight. Having only one, especially a simple weight goal you will find can be difficult. Have many MINI goals along your journey, and more than just ones that involve the scale. Such as, clothing size goals, body fat% goals, fitness or workout goals, dietary goals, etc… DO challenge yourself always!! Whether it’s a global challenge with others, or personal challenges... It will keep you motivated and always willing to go further than you ever thought you could! DO have a mentor! Find someone that you can trust and confide in, and that you know has “been there”. Preferably someone you know in person. You will find many folks in your life who have been there, for obesity is worldwide now and there are so many who have been able to defeat this demon. It’s not easy! It quite literally is the toughest feat I’ve ever had to endure. I can say this too, my job will never be done. This is for life! DON'T believe the myth that your tool has an expiration date. Yes, it's true you will lose the most weight in the first year and it's also true that the further out you are and the closer you are to goal, the harder it is to lose. However, as long as you keep up with your healthy eating and fitness routines you will continue to lose weight and / or keep it off in the many years post op. It all boils down to calories in vs. calories out. DON'T believe the myth that having WLS will keep the weight off forever. That is our individual responsibility. And finally… DON’T ever beat yourself up! We all make mistakes, and dare I say not one person on this Earth is perfect. I try hard to be, no doubt! I always admit that I’m a perfectionist – but I’m far from perfect. I just try to be… The only thing you can do is pick yourself up, give yourself a pep talk, perhaps contact your mentor for reassurance and move on!!! Again, this is for life. Every day you wake up is a second chance. DO look for solutions to your problems. Otherwise they will just become excuses. DON’T EVER GIVE UP! I don’t think any explanation is necessary here. DON'T expect the scale to post a loss every single day. As a matter of fact, don't expect it to move that much even weekly! Just keep doing all the right things and the scale will move in the right direction when it needs to. DO expect to see fluctuations on the scale, both down AND up. DON'T lose your head over it either. This isn't a miracle cure and the weight isn't going to magically disappear in a few weeks. You have to keep pushing with healthy eating, some type of workout and getting plenty of Fluid. DON'T let the scale define your journey when there are so many pieces to that puzzle!!! Good luck to all of you. This journey is a tough one, but if you are here, then you believed in yourself enough to give yourself the life you’ve always dreamed of. YOU WILL BE successful. Always keep that in mind. Add-ons by other experienced sleevers: DO keep a list of NSV (Non scale victories) to reflect on when times are getting hard. Can you walk up 2 extra flights of stairs before getting winded? Cross your legs?" and "DO NOT be afraid to change things if they aren't working. Stalls happen even gains happen. If you are on a long stall look at your eating and decided if changes need to be made. Utilize your tool!" -- Southern Sleever DO: Keep a food diary of what you eat and drink. This is a great learning tool as to which foods have what amounts of fat, Protein and carbs that add up to your daily intake goals. There are many ways to diary your food - from old fashioned pen and notebook to many options via smartphone apps. Keeping one is the important thing - however is right for you. I use mine now to look back for meal ideas when I hit a blank as to what to prepare for a day or a week. DO: Realize this is not a diet to be followed for a while then set aside. This is a permanent lifestyle change. Yes, the amount of food you eat will increase as time passes, but your relationship with food will be forever altered. How you celebrate your joys, successes and holidays will be different. How you mourn your sorrows will be different. Some people need outside help to get through the sometimes overwhelming mental changes this process brings. If you need help with this part of the deal- reach out and get it. -- SKCUNNINGHAM DO roll with the punches!! -- fern

Excellent!! I'm glad to hear everything went smooth. And, not to mention a big CONGRATS on getting back to your lowest Lap Band weight before surgery... WOW!!! That is a huge accomplishment! Very noteworthy, and with that I KNOW you're going to really kick butt with your sleeve. Please continue to update us on how its going!

*Hugs* You so deserve better than that. As for her telling your business well I sincerely hope she doesn't do that! Come here anytime to vent!! This is such a rough journey in a lot of ways... so much changes and no one knows better than some one else who is going through it too.

Fantastic!! Please do check in and let us know how you're doing.

IMHO, don't give the naysayers a moment of your time. It's probably a good idea to just keep this information to yourself or those who have a vested interest on your life. I could count on one hand how many people I told pre-surgery... that I was even HAVING the surgery. It's honestly no ones business. If you feel you're making the right decision and can fork over the money to have this done, then everyone else can go fly a kite.

Sasi, I know that hurts a lot when people you trusted and initially cared for move on over such superficial reasons. However, it's better to just know that's all your friendship was ever really about. Being the "fat" friend... You honestly don't need friends like that in your life. It really is their loss. You will someday find friends who love you for YOU, which you might have some already. Focus on those ones, they are the ones who deserve your attention now. I almost cringe at the term "best friend". What does that even mean? My "best friend" is my husband. Other than that all my other friends are equal to me, I don't love, cherish or confide in any one more than the others.

I do enjoy cracking sunflower seeds once in awhile. One thing I always notice though is that they also give me Water retention. I try to limit them to maybe once a month. Other than that they are nutritious and sure better snack than chips!! Which, I need to stay far far away from... LOL Good luck!

Raine, EXCELLENT POST!!! Brava my friend. Every single day I wake up I have to remind myself that I'm eating to live, not living to eat. It's like that movie 50 First Dates with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler. Somehow, Someday and Some Way it will just be ingrained in me... Keep up the excellent work. You've really done fantastic!!!!

I have been extremely lucky in that I have not lost a single good friend since I've had my VSG and have lost all my weight. In fact I have a really close girlfriend here at work who does have a weight issue, and yet she always remains supportive and is my biggest cheerleader here. She once asked for tips on weight loss and I've convinced her to read the Atkins book as well as the South Beach book. She has started the Atkins book. She's even highlighting a lot of passages. Yes, she knows about my surgery, but I've explained to her that its more than cutting the stomach. You have to have a plan too, and I told her mine was of the hi Protein / lo carb type. I hope she does well!!! I suppose I have a knack for seeing the genuine in people. I don't really go out of my way to associate with folks who come off phoney or superficial. I'm kind to all of course, but my real true friends are few and I know for them they'd be my friend no matter if I'm 900 or 90 Lbs... and I'd be the same way for them in return.

I don't know but these numbers are looking really good to me so far. I hope more will vote!! Re: no gains... geesh... lucky is an understatement. Though I'm far out enough that I know my fluctuations and confident I'll lose that and then some - it just would be so nice not to deal with that at all. Either way - I love my sleeve!!!

Glad to hear it! Keep us updated...

Do you HAVE to use her evaluation? Maybe you can still go with the Bariatric Center's psych eval. I remember when having to do mine, I was the one who delivered the eval to all necessary. If it has already been entered, maybe if it does affect the outcome of the decision for your surgery you can get a second opinion? You might want to find out about that.

I set mine up about a month out I think, but that was my choosing. I believe the wait time is pretty short. Give Nina a call and find out. I wouldn't imagine it would be more than 2 weeks.

Im glad to hear everything went well!!! Sip, Walk, Rest, Repeat... hang in there every day is going to get better and better.

CONGRATS CHERI!!!!! Whoohoooo!!! Keep it up, you're doing GREAT!!

Yayyyy!!!! Finally got one!!! You look GREAT!!! Keep up with the excellent work - so inspiring!!

Well I for one have always wanted to weigh less than my husband. I personally do feel in my own little wrold that I *should* weigh less than him. I do now so that's neither here nor there. He was very happy for me when I reached and passed him up. I'm also clearly smaller than him in all the photos of us together. It doesn't appear to bother him at all. He just glows and is beside himself on how I"m looking these days. However, he has recently agreed that it would be a good idea to maybe get in shape himself. I have him on a low carb diet and he's doing really well with it. Its only been 3 weeks and his belly is already gone. I'm h appy for him too and thoguh he doesn't weigh in nearly as much as I do he figured he'd wait for a month to see. He may have caught back up with me again, who knows... LOL

I use Protein shakes almost daily. I drink them right after my early morning workout to bump up my daily caloric intake a bit and because I'm on the go to get ready for work, these are simply ideal. These shakes will hold me and keep me satisfied for minimum 3 hours. I say if it works for you and you're continuing to lose weight, and they are not harming you physically then drink up! I'm not sure why they were mentioned as empty calories. They are very nutritionally dense. Empty calories are calories consumed that provide no nutritious benefits to our bodies... so I'm just a little stumpified by that one...