LilMissDiva Irene

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Well, on your Sleevie... not the TOM so much. It'll pass... keep on sipping, walking and resting!

That is GREAT!!! Congrats, you've done really awesome.

Father GOD I pray you take care of our good Sister S, she's such a wonderful sweet lady!!! Xoxo

That's TOTALLY AWESOME!!! And, you have something to look forward to for your next Anniversary as well. One year post op is an incredible time... now it's even more so!

Yayyy!! Welcome to the Losers Bench!!

You look great Julie and you know I'll be one of the first to say to heck with tha darned scale!! It's all about health and you are in some tiny clothes... so again... the scale can go take a flyin leap. Oh and lucky you kept your boobs!! Now if you want to keep losing weight too, that's fine as well. I just think the scale gets way too much emphasis and credit when there are so many other things to consider.

Hi TeamBrown, that 1-3 Lbs per week is based on average. Some weeks you won't lose, some you will lose a lot. Hang in there!!!

You can find Dreamfield's in most grocery stores in the pastas section. It will have its own little spot, and it has Spaghetti, Thin noodles and most low carb remakes of different shaped Pasta. The best part is I honestly cannot tell the difference!! And absolutely yes, YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

How far out from surgery are you? Ground beef is probably ok if you're already eating ground turkey. I did do the turkey for a long time though because beef has bulked me up in the past. Other than that ground beef is good Protein. I was given an alternative to Pasta here a long time ago and it's called Dreamfield's. I can't even tell the difference between that and real pasta... either that or I don't remember what real pasta taste like anymore.. lol. Anyhow it's always best to stick to your Surgeons guidelines. That said, if you're wondering, ask them why they are so stringent on the carbs/no carbs. I always like to know how/why I'm being ordered to do something. I've eaten carbs throughout my weight loss months. The only times I went super low is to get things moving (weight loss) again and it only took a few days to do that. Other than that I was eating them. I did about 60g per day total, which is double what others do.

Awww Cludgie, you look amazing lady! And Happy (late?) Birthday!!

Great NSV Congrats!!

Heck no you're not an idiot! I always bought smaller clothes as incentive to work to get into them and it worked. It was so much fun! I would pull out clothes that I knew were too small and see how far I could get them up. I'd do this ritual about once a month. Then the next month I'd see how much further I could get them up. I often found that within one or two months I was fitting them already... it was such a great feeling!! The best!! I did what I could to keep myself thinking positively about the journey and not focus so much on the scale alone. Regarding the boobs, well mine did deflate. I went from a 44D to a 34B/C. I had to get them re-inflated. ETA: My scars have faded over time and my lap band scars are actually darker than my sleeve scars. Go figure.

Your Surgeon is a very smart man! I know it's hard to remember these things when you're going through it. I went through it and it was hard for me. I only wish I'd seen a post like this back then. One year from now, you will be a completely different person, and you WILL look back and say... wow!! What DID I get so worked up over? LOL I speak from first person experience.

He does say that right?! Actually I got that one from Friends... the episode where Phoebe re-named herself that. I love Lisa Kudrow!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock. I call her "Sleevie" for short.

Hi everyone! I wanted to touch base with you all... because I can! On Thursday I will be 18 months post op. One and one half years exactly. Yay! I'm happy. Yup, that about sums it up right there. Here's something I've learned and I think by sharing this bit of knowledge it might help some of you who might be struggling mentally with figuring out how - when - where - what - why's with the Post Op life of a VSG patient. Notice the word "patient"... because seriously, you will never find this more of a virtue than after you have your surgery. This journey IS!! NOT!! EASY!! You're going to have so many ups and downs you won't know where you're headed sometimes. It's ok, and it's normal to feel confused by a lot of things! That's why this forum is so valuable, all of us pre-oppers and post-oppers coming together to offer support and some great advice. Here is something to look forward to though... rather than become fixated on how much one will lose on the first month out, or for that matter 6 months... concentrate rather on how your life will look IN ONE YEAR from the date of your surgery. You're going to have a Santa's List worth of NSV's, likely you will have cleaned out your closet and replaced all your clothes 2 or 3x over. Some people (for example my own Mom) will pass you right up and not realize that you're YOU... You're going to be bombarded with folks coming up and either congratulating you and/or asking you how you did it. You will probably get a little embarrassed by some comments. You won't need to buy your clothes in the Bigs & Talls anymore. Your shoes are going to fit like they should. You will be able to walk and workout with the greatest of ease and without much pain. Likely you will begin to feel more comfortable in larger crowds... and (if you're single) you might feel more empowered to flirt with others. You will fit nicely in stadium seats, in an airplane without extenders, chairs with arm rests... you will also be able to cross your legs like second nature. Your Before & After photos won't even look like you!! These are only a handful of all the wonderful things you WILL experience at one year out... that you will still be dreaming of at one month. Patience. It's THE #1 asset to have in this whole process. Have a great day everyone!

***standing ovation*** Love it, and LOVE YOU! You're amazing... just in case I haven't said so lately.

Hello Anna Welcome to VST, and CONGRATS on your tiny new tummy! Hang in there, it definitely does get better and better. It sounds like you are right on track with everything.

CONGRATS!!! Happy Shopping!

My hair started falling out around 4 months post op and didn't really stop until I stopped my rapid weight loss, which was around 10-12 Month post op. I use GNC brand Biotin, 5,000 mcg, dry capsules. I've tried other varieties but I've found this to work amazing in comparison. It doesn't stop it from falling out, but the regrowth is pretty amazing. It comes back super healthy, thick and shiny. Not only that it works to getting the finger nails strong and healthy too! Bonus! No telling how you will be affected but it happens to the majority. But, just know it does grow back. I've also never heard of anyone going totally bald.

Hi Debby, Hey I'm sure you've just encouraged a lot of people right now, so yes BIG SHOUT OUT TO YA!!! And, for me it's always the case that when I get up and move around and/or get my workouts in, I just feel so much better. Great job so far!!

Right on!!! Any type of NSV involving boots is a good one!

Wow great job!!! It keeps getting better and better too

I like this post... I just want to clarify... I was not conveying anyone should PUSH to get in 1,300 calories, especially early out. I couldn't do it, I wouldn't expect anyone else to either. Definitely DON'T eat more than you can just to get the calories in. I was referring to not worrying about it so much to where it becomes obsessive. We will all be able to eat more in time. Protein first, complex carbs next and if you can fit more in then everything else last. Our sleeves won't "stretch" rather they will become less swollen over time, thus allowing more room in. Just eat what you can, and make it the most healthy choice possible. That's all.

No biggie! This journey is so tough, that's why forums like this are so valuable. Excellent blood sugar btw!!