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Look, it's hard to do, but just try not to stress. Everyone is different. And I know some here won't agree with me, but if it was as simple as the science of calories in vs. calories out, I never would have needed surgery in the first place! I think weight loss is far more complicated than that, and that it has more to do with our own individual bodies than it does with a scientific formula. Surgery is stressful. Your body is completely shocked that it just dropped a huge amount of weight in a short period. Give it some time, keep working your sleeve and you're going to keep losing. I promise. Some of us lose slower than others - I lost half my post op weight in the first two months and the rest slowly over the last six months. But guess what? I'm losing. You will, too. Just hang in there, and try to put the scale away for a few days. It's hard (sometimes I have my husband hide it from me!) but it will help you focus more on what you're eating than on what the scale is saying. And I'm sure you've heard it before, but TAKE MEASUREMENTS. Seriously...I've only lost 5 pounds in the last two months but I lost seven inches and went down a full size in shirts and pants. ~Cheri

I was 242 preop, no preop diet. By two months out I was down 35 pounds.

You definitely can, but I've read/heard that it's more uncomfortable to have it placed if you've never had a child, because the cervix has to be open to insert the IUD. ~Cheri

I'm not sure if you're stateside again or not, but I recommend a checkup/labs to see if you have PCOS and maybe even a lap to check for endometriosis. Being diagnosed for sure won't help, but it will at least point you in the right direction for treatment options. From age 12-19 I had 3 on, 1 off with my cycles and it was pure hell. It got a lot better after pregnancy and then wasn't as bad until about 2 years later. Then things got steadily worse. It's way TMI, but we're talking cycles were I could use super plus Tampax and overnight pads at the same time and STILL have overflow after two hours. So yeah, if you're having cycle hell like you're talking about, Mirena really could be a great option - I'm "normal" now, not experiencing horrible pain and long, heavy periods each month any more. Best of luck to you whatever you decide. If you do have PCOS, you know that's a real culprit when it comes to weight loss, don't you? You've been slow (and steady) the whole time, but hormonal imbalance will impede your loss. ~Cheri

Globe, most insurance will cover Mirena. I have Tricare Prime Overseas and they did it with no problem. Tricare is usually behind the rest of the insurance plans as far as coverage. The way Mirena works is still really unknown. It does release birth control (levonorgestrel, as a previous poster mentioned) which is used in birth control pills. The device itself is supposed to also thin the uterine lining, making implantation much more difficult. If you remove the device to conceive, most doctors will tell you to wait for two cycles before trying again, because the uterine lining might be too thin to sustain a pregnancy. The questionable aspect for many people is that nobody is really sure if Mirena stops sperm from reaching the egg or if it simply prevents a fertilized egg from implanting. What a lot of people don't understand is that most women wouldn't conceive every month anyway - or even every year. So assuming that each month an egg is released and then fertilized, resulting in a spontaneous abortion is a bit much. It can happen, though, so for that reason many Catholics and other religious groups are completely against the use of the device, even more so than other forms of contraception. In my case, I opted for Mirena solely for control of my endometriosis. In that respect, it's the ideal treatment. My husband has infertility, and even if he didn't, I have no religious beliefs that would cause me to question the use of the IUD. The only side effect I could possibly say that I experienced *might* be a slower weight loss. But I can't be sure. I'm still losing, and still at a very good rate, so it might just be a natural slowdown as I get closer to goal. I have had none of the awful side effects I had with pills in the past - acne, moodiness, depression, weight gain and constant cravings for junk food - so for me, it's a great option. Another choice, if your insurance covers it, is the Nuva ring. Again, some people love it and some people hate it. I loved it, again, for endometriosis control (I left it in an entire month and went right to the next ring with no break). It simply isn't available in remote overseas locations, however, so I had to go with a different option. Best of luck to you. But check with your insurance, Globetrotter. I'd be willing to be they cover it already. ~Cheri

Tiffy - thanks for your response. I talked to my PCM today and he straight up said not to TTC just yet. I am still having issues getting my food in, and he said I really ought to wait until at least next July. So for now, we're going to shelve the TTC. Not that there's much to "shelve" since our embryos are in a freezer in Ukraine! My labs are okay but not as great as they could be. I have a real problem eating enough calories - like I said I'm still dependent on one Protein shake a day to get calories and protein up. That said, I easily keep my calories around 1,000 a day while I'm on shakes and while my carbs aren't up to 100 yet I shuffle between 50-70 net carbs a day. I still lose at the same pokey rate as I did when I was eating only 20-30 a day and I feel better. I just wanted to reassure you. Trying to get pregnant and going through that disappointment every month sucks. There is nothing like that horrible feeling every time you get a little excited that it could be this month...and then your period starts. I used to get so hopeful that I'd actually cause my period to be late with the stress. I was a monster by the end of the third year we were TTC. My docs kept telling me it was my weight, though. "Just lose a little more weight and it'll happen." Nobody tested DH at all because he has other children from his first marriage. When we finally got a RE that tested him it turns out he has severe male factor infertility. I mean, we did ICSI and he had TEN normal, healthy swimmers in the sample. There was no way we were getting pregnant on our own. We had a better chance of winning the lotto! But I understand - we tried for SO stinking long - every month was this horrible disappointment replete with tears, yes, tantrums and then depression. I finally had to stop charting and try to adopt that "it'll happen when it happens" stance, too. But patience is NOT my strong suit, either. I saw no reason why I couldn't just get pregnant. I had friends bawling to me about not wanting to be pregnant with their third kid in four years...and I was the most unsupportive friend ever. I just wanted to tell them all to shut up! It all seemed so horribly unfair. I know a lot of women that went through secondary infertility. Hopefully the Clomid will do the trick and you won't have anything to worry about. You're still young so your eggs should be in great shape. You're right that you've been through a lot - it might just be your body saying "take it easy, we've been through a lot lately." Have you had a HSG yet to make sure you have no blockages? Tricare covers them, so see if you can get one done if you haven't yet. Bring it up to your fertility doc for sure. If you have a problem like a blockage, Clomid won't do the trick and you'll just waste time and energy. In any case, a close friend of mine had some luck with Clomid and had her daughter three years ago. Having her daughter resolved the issues and they had no trouble conceiving a second child a year and a half later. Hopefully you'll have a similar outcome and will only endure this one round of Clomid. We did two rounds of Clomid before they figured out my DH was the problem. It caused me a few side effects but wasn't bad at all. We moved right from Clomid to IVF with ICSI once we had his diagnosis. Take care and thanks for the information. I am not a patient woman and I might have charged ahead without consulting my PCM first. I think I'll need to get my eating in order and maybe even lose another 30 pounds before I go the TTC route again. I still want to see someone have a kid and then get back to goal and post here, though! ~Cheri

I have a few questions. I'm just asking for opinions and gathering information right now. My Mirena recently decided to fall out after just a few months, and it got my husband and I talking about kids again. I'm only six months out from surgery. Right now I don't know that it's the best timing, but I also don't know that there's anything wrong with the timing, either. Those that know they're going to try to conceive (TTC) or are already doing it: Did you wait to get to goal before starting? I'm just curious here. I had a perfectly healthy twin pregnancy that started when I was 210 pounds, so I'm not concerned that my current weight will negatively impact my ability to carry or conceive. I just wonder how many wait, and if they worry once they get to goal that they'll never get back. Do people that get pregnant usually return to goal? I'd hate to get so close and never get this close again, you know? I think I'd feel the same way if I got to goal first, though. Does the amount time out from surgery impact pregnancy? I know a lot of people wait one year because of the honeymoon period and the best weight loss is supposed to be in those first months. I've been a consistent, if somewhat slow, loser. I have no doubts that I'll reach my goal now and expect that I'd be able to lose after another pregnancy, too. But are there other reasons for people to wait? Does anyone know of any stories of multiple pregnancy post-VSG? This is a very real concern for me. We did IVF w/ICSI and put back a responsible number of embryos but still got our twins as a result. I'd love to hear stories. I don't know that I'd have multiples - certainly the statistics say I wouldn't, but we're doing FET this time around and I've got this gut feeling, much like last time, about multiples. They're great and the pregnancy wasn't hard. But I am VERY concerned about another set of multiples. Not from a "could we handle it" perspective, because when you try for years and years to get pregnant you'll take all the babies you can get. At least, we will. But I'm very worried that my sleeve would cause serious nutritional issues. I ate a tremendous amount of food (mostly Proteins but my nut also recommended lots of carb and fats) while pregnant with my twins (and I "only" gained 60 pounds). There is no way I could eat those calories in solid food now that I'm sleeved. This is complicated by the fact that I am now lactose intolerant and those easy, nutritious foods like cottage cheese and greek yogurt are off limits. I think I'd have to supplement and drink shakes from sunup to sundown. On that note, do those of you pregnant supplement with shakes/Ensure or something similar? I wonder if it's easy to get enough nutrition simply through eating with the sleeve. I still hate eating and I still rely on one Protein shake a day to get my protein up between 80-90 grams a day. And, totally unrelated to VSG - has anyone had a FET here, even before being sleeved? Are you willing to share your experience here or PM me? I've read dozens of stories online but I'm always ready to learn a bit more about the experience. Sorry to rail off so many questions. I'm just curious. On the boards where I talk about FET there aren't many WLS patients. And of course, I doubt there are a lot of post WLS people here doing fertility treatments. But most of my questions are strictly pregnancy related, so I suppose I might find some ideas here. Thanks, ladies. Good luck to everyone currently trying and congrats to everyone currently expecting. ~Cheri

Congrats! I know you're eager for a blood test confirmation, but three tests won't lie! Take care of yourself and have a great doctor's visit on the 31st. ~Cheri

Congrats! I read your blog and understand a number of your struggles. Enjoy this time and take care of yourself. Great job meeting two goals - goal weight, and a pregnancy! ~Cheri

Yeah, I doubt you're going to want cold anything for a while post op. For me, at least, cold drinks caused esophageal spasms and discomfort for a few weeks. The only advice I can give is not to buy too much of any shake or supplement pre op. Your tastes will change. Not just immediately, but over and over again. I'm six months out and I've changed my shake three or four times now. I also developed lactose intolerance and had to get rid of two big cannisters of protein powder that were causing me problems. I agree - Muscle Milk shakes are pretty good room temp. Now that I like my drinks cold again, I drink a variety of Muscle Milk RTD, Isoflex powders and Oh Yeah! RTD shakes. These brands are tolerable at best but they really do help me lose weight and keep my protein numbers high. Post op you'll probably want to try a lot of different things. It took me a while to find things that taste good (enough) to me but also fit the nutritional profile I want. ~Cheri

I, too, developed lactose intolerance. Certain foods (yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, ice cream and yes, Protein shakes) cannot be tolerated. I get incredibly sick if I consume any of the foods that bother my system. There are several lactose free protein shakes on the market. I had to try three or four before I found that I can usually tolerate Muscle Milk RTD shakes. Keep working on it with samples or individual RTD shakes. There is most likely something out there that you can tolerate. I also went through the lack of appetite. It does come back. You have to push yourself to eat enough calories in the meantime, even when you don't want to. You cannot avoid eating for fear of gaining; you're only going to confuse your body and cause yourself problems. I gain when my calories stay low for too long, too. Right about the time my lactose intolerance got very bad I was also eating about 300 calories a day. I gained a few pounds and then stalled out for weeks. With your dramatic results so far, you should expect a stall at some point. Your body needs to adjust. Don't worry - it will eventually get the idea that everything is okay, provided you continue to nourish your body and stay healthy. I, too, had major issues with the chewables, and later with my Biotin pills. I now take gummi Vitamins. They don't make me sick and they go down just fine. Find an adult gummi Vitamin, and take enough of them to get what you'd get from your chewables. YOU CAN DO THIS. Just take a deep breath and relax. It's going to take your mind a long while to catch up to your new body. You've lost a tremendous amount of weight in the last seven months, both with and without your sleeve. You definitely should pursue some therapy to help you adjust. Please update once you speak to your doctor. Any advice/suggestions you receive could help others in your position. I strugged with the same physcial issues you're struggling with now. I'm in a far better place now, just two months later. Best of luck, ~Cheri

For me, a sign I've overeaten or that my blood sugar is going nuts is that I get hot and a bit lightheaded. My husband gets hot after every meal, no matter what he eats. He's never been sleeved - it's just the way his body works. He heats up like a furnace while he's digesting food. I hope you figure it out. Do you have anything else going on at the same time that could be related, like dizziness or a heavy feeling in your chest? ~Cheri

Congrats! Take it easy, follow the rules and you'll find that recovery is a breeze. ~Cheri

I totally agree with La - I'm going to ball my eyes out...and probably step on the scale half a dozen times to be sure it's not lying to me. But then I want to buy some new clothes and continue maintaining at goal so I can get my plastic surgeries done! I've already flown since losing 60+ pounds and I can tell you it was FAR less stressful. I fit in the seat with room to spare, I didn't have to wonder if I'd need an extender and the looong flight from Germany to the states was actually comfortable...in coach. It's much easier to fly when you aren't as heavy. I am sure this will only get easier as I continue to shrink. ~Cheri

Coops: I am sooo sorry to hear you've been sick. Poor thing. We had a bout of the flu here that went round and round until I got sick THREE times, but luckily we got out of it before it got so bad. I'm glad you realize it's just your body trying to keep you well. I'm sure that once you're completely well again you'll drop more weight. I know it's frustrating and disheartening, but you'll get through this! You've been slow and steady the whole way, and you'll get back to that once you're well again. You're looking great, and doing a fantastic job! Kathy: Thanks a million, billion for the kind words. Isn't it so amazing to see that our men can be insecure, too? I think deep down my husband is afraid that I'll go looking elsewhere, too, since his first wife found herself a new husband while they were still married. I tell him that I can't believe he would think that. I'm married to a man that loved me AND my body madly at this size, all the way up to 275 when I was pregnant with our twins. He's been constant, faithful and just plain wonderful. I would never risk what I have on someone new, someone who would only be attracted to me physically, anyway. Men are so silly! I wish you the absolute best with your relationship. All you can do is keep proving to your boyfriend that you're here to stay and that he completely rocks your world! I'm sorry about the reflux. I do understand that fleeting regret about one last binge. I don't forbid myself anything anymore. I'm losing slowly, but I'm still losing. If you're still thinking about that cheesy pepperoni in a day or two, kill the crave with a small homemade cheese and pepperoni pizza or by buying a single slice. Eat a little bit and get it out of your system. I was craving frozen custard like you would not believe - I was having dreams about ice cream cones! I finally broke down and had some...I wound up eating two bites, finding it too sweet and splitting the dish between my kids instead. It's one thing to eat a junky treat in moderation and another to actually binge. Binging would be impossible now, and so long as you won't find yourself fighting an evil, two-headed carb monster afterward I don't see that indulging once in a while is a problem. We need to learn to eat like normal people, and normal people DO indulge once in a while. Just my opinion! I'm not encouraging you to be bad or overindulge, just to cut yourself some slack when you really want something. Lou: Now you know about wardrobe! Only buy one or two things in each size, or you're wasting money! I'm glad to hear you're doing so well with your diabetes. Mine hadn't progressed very far yet, and I'm completely off meds and normal now. It's wonderful. I bet you'll be here in no time. Just think of the years you're adding to your life by getting that horrible disease under control. Diabetes is very dangerous and getting mine under control was my biggest motivation. Thanks for the tips - I'll have to make sure my husband sees that there are perks to this skinnier me! I definitely think something a little less "matronly" would go a long way for him, so great idea. Well, folks, I'm glad for the updates we've had and I hope everyone is doing well. Stay safe during the holiday season and remember to use moderation when it comes to the yummy treats people throw at you this time of year, but don't deprive yourself of the things that will make you feel normal. ~Cheri

I stalled early out, too. My loss has always been in fits and starts - nothing for a week or two, then ten pounds in the next two weeks. I always stall during my monthly cycle. Everyone is different. Some people never experience a real stall. Some people have one every month and some people only stall once every few months. Just accept that you will lose the weight. Eat the right foods, push the Protein and drink your Water. Eventually you'll get to goal, at your own body's pace and not a second sooner. Best of luck to you! Keep your chin up and focus on eating enough, eating right and adjusting to life with your new sleeve. The scale will catch up later. ~Cheri

I just had to add these. Now, I'm a camera avoider and have been ever since I blew past the 150s as a teenager. Man...to be 150 again! But I digress. Here are some befores and one after. The befores are from June of this year. I have goofy looks on my face because I'm a camera avoider and honestly had no clue people were snapping my pictures (the jerks!) but now I'm glad I have proof. I swear I almost died this day. We were at the Heidelberg Shloss with all of the kids and the uphill walk was so hard on me...I kept having to stop and sit on the benches on the wall. I got to the top a sweaty, panting and red-faced mess! I am not joking when I say 70 year old German men were blowing past me bewildered that I couldn't jog up to the top the way there were doing. I have never felt so fat and unfit before in my life. I will never feel that way again. The after was taken Thanksgiving day, I was not primped, my bra is showing (it was way too big, I bought a new one) and my tummy rolls are clearly visible. Had I known this would be my only "after" shot that shows my body, I would have worn cute clothes and done my hair and makeup. Regardless of all that, I can't help but look at that picture and think, "Damn, I've come a long way!" I'll have my hubby take a better shot of me once he's back from his trip next week. Take care all! I do hope we get some updates around here.

Lou, congrats! I'm sure you'd doing a great job. Men usually drop the weight faster, too. Kathy, I recently saw a post by you on a different topic. You're doing a great job! You had a longer journey to onderland, but you'll be there before you know it! I know I don't think of myself as "fat" anymore. I finally see myself as just overweight. I am not disgusted by what I see in the mirror (when clothed, at least) and I can't remember the last time I put myself down either verbally or mentally. I view these things as huge strides in the right direction. I still don't see myself as "skinny" or "thin" yet. I see myself as more normal, even though the BMI chart has me hanging out in obesity land. But I'm no longer morbidly obese, at least! I had twins three years ago and MY WORD the things those sweet babies did to my stomach. I'd be a full shirt and pant size smaller if not for the large band of twin skin around my middle. Yes, this excess skin and fat does still make me a little uncomfortable, though I'm a far more confident woman than I used to be. I still find myself shocked at how large I am when I lie down in the bathtub...when it all spreads out and I see the space I take up, I can't believe I'm 60 pounds lighter at all. The reflux is now just a part of my life. I sometimes forget to take my pill and don't immediately have the burning hell in my esophagus anymore, so I hope it will eventually go away. I eat very small portions, but sometimes I love to eat! I had the Ahi Carpaccio appetizer at Cheesecake Factory a while back (well, part of it, anyway) and actually enjoyed it enough to ooh and aah over my dinner. Amazing! The lactose intolerance is a little harder. I didn't expect it the way I expected the reflux. I miss cottage cheese and yogurt. But for the most part, it's not that bad and it's not too tough to avoid foods that will make me ill. It does limit my protein options, though. I am losing hair but I'm not seriously alarmed yet. I had a ton of hair on my head and losing a bit of it isn't hurting me so far. I enjoy shopping. I fit in almost everything I try on! It's the best part, I think! I'm down to 11/12-13/14 or L pants, and L shirts. It's pretty neat to be able to shop in any store. I've also gone down a shoe size. The "ladies" are very sad little ladies these days, but they fit in normal sizes again. I figure it's nothing a little surgery can't fix in the future and I don't worry too much about it. My main issue right now, and the one I'd love to hear feedback on, is that my husband and I are in disagreement about my goal weight. I picked the highest weight I could be and still have a normal BMI. I wanted to be able to have a doctor actually view me as a patient and stop telling me my weight is causing all of my problems. I wanted to be taken seriously. My husband likes short, chunky women. I am currently the size I was when we met. He's already mourning the loss of my butt and chest. He really wants me to stop losing in about 20 pounds or so. He's been incredibly supportive despite the fact that he never felt I needed to lose weight in the first place. He's a fit, active man himself but he loves curvy women. I'm actually insecure about the thought of losing too much weight. In most relationships, women wouldn't worry about this, but I'll have other men paying attention to me (it's already happening more now that I'm losing) and he'll be looking for the chubby women in the room! It's like the opposite of how I've felt during my marriage. I never worried my husband would cheat on me with some skinny blonde, because the man likes fat women! Any advice? Is anyone else dealing with this? I trust my husband, but I've always known he's very attracted to me. I'd hate that to change simply because of my weight. We're very open about what we find attractive, and not one time has my husband ever found a thin woman attractive. I will say that his idea of a pretty woman got larger as I got larger over the years though. I wonder if this will work in reverse, too? I have a fantastic marriage. I'd really hate to ignore his feelings about my body, the same way he'd make me crazy if he shaved his head knowing I hate it, but ultimately we both realize that it's my choice. Well, it's been a great five months for me. I'm losing slower than I like because it's been a stressful month and a half of traveling. But overall it's great and I was able to simply get back on track. I absolutely LOVE my sleeve. I cannot imagine regretting this surgery. I'm grateful for it every day. In those five weeks of completely stressed out travel (and we have a few months more of being displaced to look forward to, I think) I ate whatever I wanted...I gained about three pounds but maintained after that. I was able to jump back to protein first and I've dropped ten pounds in less than two weeks. My sleeve ROCKS. I want to hear how everyone else is doing now! ~Cheri

My pills get stuck, but I found some that are 5000 mcg per pill, so it was only one pill to struggle with daily. I took it faithfully until last month, when I just could not bear the nausea and burning in my esophagus any longer. In my case, I don't think it helped much, if at all, but you might be different. If you eat a lot of green, leafy veggies in addition to that little bit of milk you might be okay, but we should be consuming about 1,200 mg of calcium a day so if you're under that I would add in another chew. It's when you get upwards of that 1,200 mg per day that it gets to be too much. I barely eek out my 1,200 with supplements and food myself, so you might track your intake for a typical day to see where you're at. I hope it gets better for both of us! I used to have such pretty nails and hair and they're both pretty pathetic right now. ~Cheri

I'm having the same issue. I've always had really lovely, long nails that were hard to break even if I went months without a manicure. Post op it's hard to grow them out because they're always splitting or breaking. They're dry - in fact, my whole body seems dry this winter, which is a new issue, too. I'm also losing my hair but not enough to panic over yet. I was prepared for some pretty serious thinning and while I do sometimes worry about the amount I seem to be losing it's not really that noticeable yet. I, too, have supplemented since the beginning and I also had to stop taking the Biotin. It was making me sick to my stomach and the pills seemed to get stuck in my esophagus, too. I've upped my Water intake and am trying to keep an eye on what I eat, because I wasn't getting enough fats for a while there. While putting polish on them will help them look nicer, it won't improve the actual nails. It takes a few months for the nails to grow out, and like our hair the condition of them depends on what we're putting in our bodies. If you're already on a multi and your B12, the only real things to improve are fatty acids, calcium and Protein. Biotin isn't a proven to work, so if you're already taking 5000mcg daily (what my doc suggested I take), I wouldn't take any more than that. The fact is, the VSG keeps us from eating a lot of those foods that made our hair and nails look fantastic. I no longer have a tremendously rounded diet. I'm sure once I'm at goal, have stopped losing and am eating a wider variety of foods these issues will improve. ~Cheri

I had a real problem with appetite for several months. Now that I'm five months out, I actually do have a bit of an appetite. I get the urge to eat and I do enjoy at least a small portion of most things I eat. I've even oohed and aahed over food recently - something I haven't done since surgery. It takes time, but you'll eventually get past this. I asked the same question a few months ago, and wasn't sure I believed Tiffy when she reassured me that it passes, but she was right. Just give it time, and focus on eating the right foods until eating sounds appealing again. I think Tiffy is spot on - once I started introducing a few more carbs (and branching out and enjoying a wider variety of food) food starting sounding better. I did continue to cook for my husband and my kids, though a little less regularly and much smaller meals than before. I didn't mind it at all - I had no appetite so even when I was on liquids the food wasn't a temptation. The only real change there is that their meals have become healthier now that my own eating habits have changed. It really does get easier - just hang in there! ~Cheri

Wishing you a swift and speedy recovery. Everything will be great - we can't wait to hear from you once you're sleeved! ~Cheri

Yes, call immediately! It's better to be safe than sorry. I experienced something similar and was feeling incredibly full and almost sick after just half a tiny meatball. After seeing the doctor and a specialist and having an upper GI done last week, they told me to eat smaller bites and actually showed me how tiny they wanted them to be. It's pretty embarrassing, but the issue was that I was eating bites that were too big and causing the esophagus to spasm. Oops. Apparently, even thumbnail sized bites are too big for me, because I'm lazy with the chew, chew, chewing part. However, since I went in and corrected my eating habits, I'm back to eating 2 ounces of dense Protein, instead of 2 bites. But it could be something very serious, so you need to be checked right away to be certain. Keep us posted, I hope it's a simple fix. ~Cheri