kmwheel

Yes, I have had that same feeling several times! I heard it was from the hormones as we're burning fat. I forgot my Water in my car this morning and had to go out to get it. By the time I got back in, I was sweating like a hog...I wasn't running or anything. I like to just think of it as more fat burning...I'm like a fat-burning oven, lol! I think it's supposed to get better, but I am only 3 weeks post-op, so I don't know much. I hope it gets better for you soon!

Yes, I have had that same feeling several times! I heard it was from the hormones as we're burning fat. I forgot my Water in my car this morning and had to go out to get it. By the time I got back in, I was sweating like a hog...I wasn't running or anything. I like to just think of it as more fat burning...I'm like a fat-burning oven, lol! I think it's supposed to get better, but I am only 3 weeks post-op, so I don't know much. I hope it gets better for you soon!

I think a lot of it has to do with the actual hospital cost. I had a few choices of hospitals, and there was a really fancy one that would have bumped my surgery cost up by about 4k. If you spend some time on the boards, you might get a feel for which hospitals sound good to you. I went for one that was clean and had good care. I think most of them are just fine. Then there's the recovery segment. Some surgeons will send you to a "recovery house" and others to a hotel (I was at a hotel and it was gorgeous). Again, it just all boils down to your comfort level. I think that my surgeon was on the lower end of price range (not the cheapest, but) and I had high quality care and service from start to finish. I just had a 6 week follow-up with my PCM and she could not believe how great I'm doing and the price I paid for the really great service.

i am not going to Mexico but my surgery will be August 20th so we will only be a day apart...good luck!! Tammy

I've never thought about, considered, or worried about this "honeymoon phase" people talk about! I don't care how slow or fast I'm losing. I'm not gaining and that's all I care about! Every single day I'm conscious about what I eat and I'm working on getting physically fit. Sleeved life is good!

I was sleeved 9/14/2012, went from 232 to 154, and the only time I stopped losing was very recently when my Water aerobics class (at the city pool) let out for the summer. I was doing a musical in community theater at the time, with lots of singing and dancing, and running around behind stage. After I finished that, bam...no more weight loss. I even gained a couple of pounds back...yikes. So, I just went and joined the Y today, because there's no way I can take a hiatus from activity for the entire summer like that. I can't walk outside when it's 105...just can't do it. Weight loss is slower now, but it's still happening.

He sure sounds like my first husband. Is his name Gene, too? He convinced me to have a "unique" relationship, too. You need to drag his butt into counseling with you! He's a narcissistic ass who isn't honoring his marriage vows to love you through thick AND thin. I doubt he's going to change. I suggest you lose another 180-200 lbs by shedding that burden. I would never recommend divorce before, but, oh, my gosh, he sounds like my ex and ending that relationship was the healthiest thing I ever did!
Whatever you make peace with, start being a little more self-centered. You deserve it and it will throw Mr Have-My-Cake-And-Eat-It-Too off balance.

There is no "honeymoon phase". During the first month or two you're only sipping Soup broth and getting very little calories in, so naturally you'll drop weight faster.
The real challenge comes when you begin sucking down regular food. If you start eating pizza and crap food again, then yeah you'll gain it all back. You must change your diet, your outlook on food to achieve your goals.

I'm not sure I believe in the Honeymoon phase. It is what you make it and it's about how bad you want to get to goal. I actually lost more weight after the 6 month mark than I did before it when I really sat down and focused on clean eating. Now I'm trying to figure out maintenance and still am finding I'm losing about 2 lbs a week.

I definitely recommend working out your chest, its going to lift them and if they reduce a little from losing weight, building your chest muscles will help them keep looking full. Of course your genetics also have a lot to do with them getting smaller or not.
I was a size 38DD when I had the surgery I've lost 46lbs and my chest is now a 34DDD so my abdomen and back shrinked but I kept the same volume as far as cup size goes...
I do various chest, lats and arm workouts to help with my boobs.
Hope this helps :-/

My boyfriend still doesn't fully understand.. He simply can't wrap his head around someone wanting to cut out 3/4 of the stomach. I finally made him understand a bit when I served him a portion of food that was the size that I need to eat in order to create a caloric deficit large enough to lose a significant amount of weight. Of course after eating that he was still hungry (he's skinny but a huge eater) so I explained to him that how he was feeling is how I would have to live every day of my life without the surgery and that WITH the surgery I would be able to be satisfied after eating a small portion. He still maintains that nobody should ever have to eat portions as small as what I do, but he recognizes that without the surgery it would be impossible to eat so little on a consistent basis.. so I guess he's half on board... he's not super supportive, but at least he's not hostile about it. Also I found I don't really NEED his support.. I get plenty from other places.. as long as he's not being negative about it I'm good.

I was stuck at 160 for what seemed like forever, and then just started drinking a ton of Water. I drink 20 oz. as soon as I wake up in the morning and then keep that going through the day. I've also been eating a ton of plain greek yogurt. I stir in different toppings to keep it interesting. So within the past couple of weeks I've dropped 4 more pounds, getting to 156. My personal goal is 140.

I am down to 181. As soon as I get down to 180 the next goal is 175.
In NSV, I've discovered that I can cross my legs again and sit cross-legged and going down the stairs almost doesn't hurt at all. Going up the stairs is getting easy and I've stopped having sudden knee pain for no apparent reason.
I walked a quarter mile or so to Longpoint from my condo, took the bus downtown, walked a half block to the train, walked two blocks and back.

Starting BMI 47 now 27. weight was 234 day of surgery 9/20/2012 today 157. I was on a two month stall. Came out if it by having Soups for lunch ( no noddles). I don't eat carbs, my new stomach rejects them. Lots of Vitamins, cheese. Proteins and veggies. I each small meals whenever I am hungry. I just make sure to make good choices. I have a friend who introduced me to a food dehydrator, I highly recommend investing in one. This helps us take good quaility Protein on the go everywhere. Not to mention homemade dried Bananas are amazing! I eat a lot of yogurt. I wish I liked Greek yogurt but I hate the stuff! I highly recommend Muiller brand yogurt. Corners and fruit ups are amazing! I attached a before and after face picture. 77 pounds down. I need to be brave to post body pics lol

Wow, I just realized how much money I will save on yarn! I mostly knit or crochet for my daughter because it's too expensive to buy the yarn for things for me.

If it makes some feel better, I, too, am in quite the stall. I was 210.5 on Jan 8 and am 208.5 here on March 8. A whopping 2 pounds in two months! So, join the club, lol. No, not uncommon.. You should know, that my NUT and doc remind me to share with my groups that weight loss numbers are irrelevant to compare. They said that we should, if anything, compare the percentage of excess weight lost and not actual lbs. For example, My IDEAL for a male 5 '11 is 160 lbs (absurd, of course). I weighed 260 at surgery. Thus my excess weight was 100 lbs. They put me at a target goal of 200 lbs, which would be 60% weight loss. I am at 52% now..... Not bad at all, they remind me!!
In fact, early on, losing weight was just darned fun for all of us and relatively easy. I recall on my 2nd or 3rd month checkup telling them how I would stop around 190 or 195, as I don't want to get too thin. They all chuckled and told me "if only your body worked that way".. In other words, what is easy now will become hard. Your body fights tooth and nail to get you to a normal weight. It does not like rapid weight loss and will always way slow it down...
Think of it this way.. why do they estimate 50-80% weight loss after 6 months to a year My target was 60%, which they would be happy with and which I will hit! If it was that easy, the stats would show 80-100%. IT's not for most people being lazy that they don't hit their numbers!
So, I wish it came off like before.. I also eat plenty of calories (those of you starving yourselves, read about the 1200 minimum calories pages all over the web to see why you have stopped losing weight); I work out like an FN machine now, lol. Sure, some of my weight is muscle. I feel and look great. Like a million bucks, so feel good that I'm not the only one... But at getting close to 60% of my excess weight gone, i'm way happy!

Highest Weight 280
Surgery 9/17/2012 weight 231
Current weight 187
I've been eating a lot lately. Seems like the more people that tell me how much weight I've lost the more I stuff my face.

I was with Dr. Kelly in Tijuana 9/14/2012. Cost was $5500 inclusive, and my husband traveled with me. With expenses and flight, I think we spent about $6500 total. I have had zero complications, recovery was quick, and I felt that the care they gave me was above average. I just wish I could have done it sooner. At 5 months out, I've lost 64 lbs., so my average loss is 12.8 lbs. per month. I think one of my biggest surprises from this journey is that I enjoy food more now than I ever have...I just don't need to eat as much!

Intimacy is so much more than sex. Show him affection by flirting with your eyes. Holding hands. Give him a back rub. Invite him into the bathroom and let him groom you. It's very erotic and a huge turn on.

woman in me, you are so right. Thank you for that!!!

Just a suggestion ... Let your husband read this thread. It can be difficult to be rigorously honest, but it can be so liberating as well. It's funny how we like to think we have an intimate relationship with our spouses, yet we won't share the biggest issues we struggle with.
Then together, as a couple, you can work on whatever the struggles are. Your spouse will also learn it is OK to share deep, intimate things about themselves and you will come to know a whole new level of intimacy.

Listen when I gained the weight a acquaintance ask me "how does your husband feel about it"
I told her my husband loves me and has always loved me "she told me oh how lucky are you to have such a great man" what the f**k?? I'm lucky why because I'm fat and he's a saint for sticking around??? Please he's lucky to have me!! Fat or not ! You are "blessed" my dear for having him... But he is blessed having you too!
Remember that and go make love

Bree he loves you! You need to love yourself before surgery! The sexy will come back after..
But the mere fact that you still "take care" of yourself means you are still a sexual being.
Girl go take a bubble bath tidy yourself up a bit down there (if you can get yourself off you can do a little) and have a nice evening with him. Have a glass of wine, and just love! Love yourself love him and love the future you are about to embark on!
Laura