clk

Yeah, ditto again on Lissa. I really wanted 125 pounds as my goal. It simply isn't going to happen. We really do hit a point where that's all there is. And yeah, my waist is 27" and my hips are 37" so we're pretty similar, though you must be taller than my 5'1" and some change. It took six months to shed the last twenty to get me to goal in the first place. So evaluate your diet and if that's not a problem, you might shed a few more pounds by just hanging in there. Oh, and loose skin does account for a lot. I was told anywhere from 12-18 pounds were on my body when I had a plastics consult, so keep that in mind if plastics are in your future. I'll be right at my ideal goal once I have them done, so I try not to get discouraged in the meantime. ~Cheri

Do a search here for "leak" and see what you find. It's been discussed at length. Liquids in = liquids out. So I would try to mix your shake with Water or warm tea and see if it causes the same reaction. A lot of shakes are already lactose free. I did develop lactose intolerance post op and it wasn't just diarrhea, it was extreme discomfort and gas, along with all day nausea if I ate any dairy. Yes, stay with liquids and warm liquids are best. You aren't going to get anywhere near your nutritional goals for a little while so don't push your sleeve when you can't eat. Rest and try to heal. If your pain is interfering with your daily function you need to talk to your doctor. This is not normal. You should feel uncomfortable but outright pain at this point should not be happening. ~Cheri

I started at 242 with goal at 135 pounds. It took me 17 months to get to goal. Rate of loss is absolutely an individual thing and you will not have any idea about what to expect until you're in it. I thought I'd be at goal in nine months but I was a slow and fairly steady loser (I had a pattern my body followed, anyway) with two nine week stalls along the way. I refused to do Atkins for life and consume 500 calories a day and 40 grams of carbs or less. I had surgery to break the diet mindset, not continue it. So I ate a more balanced diet and surprisingly, I found it didn't impact my weight loss either way. I did not exercise and still hate to do it, though I'm working on my arms. I do move around way more than before surgery, though, and I aim for 12,000 steps a day even though I don't do an organized workout routine. Skin is also completely individual. I had bad skin from the get-go - a growth spurt at eleven put stretch marks all over my body and my twin pregnancy in 2007 stretched me out like crazy. So even with a smaller amount of weight to lose, the loose skin is more than a nuisance. I have to wear shapewear all the time. So you really can't know how the skin thing will work out for you. Some people say that strength training helps prevent some of the sagging. I think we tend to lose a bit slower the closer we are to goal in any case, but again, rate of loss is up to your body. There are only a few things we can do to help things along and they may or may not work, anyway! ~Cheri

I had problems with forgetfulness, staying focused and fatigue that started around one year post op but starting on B12 shots and taking a new Iron supplement has me feeling better than I have since I had my twins four and a half years ago. I can remember things, stay on task, stay focused, spell again, etc. I'm not sure about long term effects, though, as I'm only 23 months out. ~Cheri

Everyone is different, so do not count on no hunger post op - make your choice to be sleeved well informed. You should search these forums for threads about this issue as it's discussed quite frequently. For most people, YES it goes away. For some it does not, and if you will not be happy with a tool that simply limits your intake with restriction this is not the surgery for you. I didn't only lose my hunger, I lost all desire to eat and started to hate food for a while post op. I didn't have my first "oh wow, that's good" meal until nearly a year out. What that allowed me to do is work on my food issues (the mental ones) while food was easily avoided. Once my appetite returned (to some extent..it's nothing like it used to be) I was able to approach my relationship with food from a much better place. In my experience, a number of people that post about hunger post op are usually struggling with acid and need a PPI OR are dealing with head hunger and the emotional issues surrounding food. But make no mistake, there are people that never lose the hunger, so again, I urge you to research this more thoroughly and make an informed decision before surgery. ~Cheri

Yep, I drink normally, too. I can't really remember when it started but you'll eventually heal enough. Wait it out, though. Big gulps of a drink early on are painful! ~Cheri

I stalled for a while around six months (for nine weeks) and lost in fits in starts the entire time. So it might just be your normal. Weight also comes off much more slowly the closer you are to goal. Everyone's dietary needs are different and I'm not trying to sound harsh. I ate over 2,500 calories a day before surgery, too...and I was gaining at a rate of a few pounds a month. That doesn't mean it was normal or good for me! If you're male and quite active your diet sounds right. If you're female, I'd say you're already eating like you're in maintenance. One thing we need to shed is all of our old "dieting" info that's stashed in our brains from years of struggling with our weight. No, we aren't going to starve to death or destroy our metabolism with a lower calorie diet, even though doctors have beaten the "1,200 calories" into our heads for years. For some of us, even the 1,200 was too much. If it wasn't too much for some of us, and if dieting really were one-size-fits-all, Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem would make every American skinny on the first go-round. So, if you feel your diet needs work, change it and be more strict with yourself. I don't advocate paring carbs to nothing and eating 500 calories a day, though it undoubtedly gets results. Track your food religiously and see where the line is. If you trim your calories by 20% do you lose at the same rate or does it pick up? If it stays the same, it's just that you're a slower loser and you can eat as you are now. But if it picks up, you know the answer lies in your diet. I was slow and steady the whole way with two nine-week stalls. It took me 17 months to lose 107 pounds. I've kept within four pounds of goal with very little effort. I eat like a person in maintenance and consume 1,400 or so calories a day of whatever I really want, but I aim for 90 grams of Protein each day. Only you really know how you're doing. If you're unhappy with your rate of loss and your diet or exercise can improve things for you, you're silly to waste the opportunity. If you're just a slow loser, join the club. Make sensible choices and keep moving and you'll get to goal. ~Cheri

Yep. I was really bad about taking my sublingual B12 post op - it just didn't seem important. After one year out I felt really run down, kinda depressed and was very forgetful. I had a panel run and was very deficient on B12 and Iron. Now I'm on B12 injections and a new iron supplement. It's been a few months and I feel a million times better. So yes, it's possible. I'd say that if you're concerned about this, be certain to get your panels done at six months, one year and beyond. I put the second panel off until I had an issue, when it could have been resolved sooner. ~Cheri

I have the feeling of pressure in my chest. Another way that I know I'm reaching my limit is when I get a runny nose or the hiccups. If I go beyond that I'll feel discomfort. You're very early out, so take it slow and steady and listen to your body even when you feel like you should eat more. I'd watch it with eggs, too, because for many people they cause a problem after just a bite or so. For the longest time I could only half a scrambled egg. I didn't start being able to eat two scrambled eggs (for an entire meal) until around twenty months post op. Everyone is different so the best thing you can do is pay attention, eat slowly and take small bites. ~Cheri

Congrats for having the courage to step forward and "own" your behavior. You definitely aren't a failure. You're coping with stress and bad feelings the way you used to do. And you're learning a hard lesson about 1) what makes us overweight in the first place (our brains, not our stomachs) and 2) how easy it is to eat around the sleeve if you're determined. The good news is while your behavior isn't healthy on any level, you did avoid putting on a significant amount of weight. Thank goodness for the sleeve, right? And you're also aware of what you need to do, instead of hiding in denial until you gain ten pounds. This is good. The first step is to stop every time you go to eat something. Start evaluating why you eat and when. This can help you curb emotional eating, a habit you must break to remain successful long term. Get that junk out of your house if possible. Go back to basics and you can do this. Atkins induction is a great way, and any diet BlackBerryJuice is following will be great, too. Having a "buddy" to do it with might help you stick with it, too. Keep your chin up during the last twenty pounds, too. It took me six whole months to shed the last twenty pounds. They go slowly. Hopefully not as slowly for you as they did for me! But hang in there. You are definitely not a failure. You've simply reverted to ingrained habits as a way to cope with a stressful situation. A lot of us stumble along our journey but as long as you learn something from this it's not a wasted experience. Best, ~Cheri

Not only will you look better but you'll burn what fat you've left more efficiently if you add more muscle to your frame. It's almost impossible NOT to shed some muscle, especially in the very beginning when we can hardly eat. You're doing great so far! ~Cheri

Little sips! Plain Water made me ill and cold water made the spasms worse. If you've only just been sleeved, you might also be experiencing spasms. Take it slow, SLOW and listen to your body. Warm liquids were my best friend right after surgery. Very soothing and impossible to sip quickly. ~Cheri

Six months out I was sure it wasn't going to work. I had the hardest time right about then with a nine week stall and I could only barely hang under 200 pounds. I was terribly frustrated and felt like everyone was losing faster than I was (not true at all) and I was considering revising my goal to a higher number. I even toyed with the idea of revising to DS, but quickly decided it was too drastic. It happens to a lot of us. The reality is that slow loss is still loss. Reaching goal in seventeen months (like me!) is no less satisfying than reaching it sooner. It's all about getting there and being happy with the changes you make that improve your health, body and lifestyle. Hang in there and try not to get too discouraged. I found that I was sabotaging my own loss by cutting my diet back too severely. I not only lost a little more consistently eating a more balanced diet, but I also felt better. That was huge - shedding that mental feeling of deprivation also helped me shed the expectation that I'd see a drop every single day on the scale. I lost in fits and starts the whole time - often I'd lose for only four days a month and actually gain about 3 pounds every time I had my monthly visitor. Remember: slow loss is still loss. There isn't a prize waiting for you if you hit goal sooner. It's natural to feel discouraged when you struggle to lose and it feels like other people shed weight without real effort. But if you stick with it, you can see goal. ~Cheri

Oh man, this sounds awesome. I miss America. Yep, coffee never left my diet for more than a week. I'd go nuts without it! I make my own Protein coffee almost every morning, but being able to buy one ready made once in a while would be nice. Thanks for sharing your find with us! I'm hunting it down once I go back to the states on vacation. ~Cheri

Thankful that you'll be okay! I'm glad there was no need to revise to another surgery. Speedy healing, and I hope you won't have an issue again in the future, ~Cheri

Congrats on choosing a great surgeon! I was sleeved 15 July 2010 by Dr. Aceves. I flew all the way from Germany to San Diego. My energy by the time I left the hospital was enough that travel was no more exhausting than usual. I was really fine until I had to spend 1 hour standing while clearing passport control and customs once I returned to Germany. Yuck. Avoid standing for long periods while you're still sore and you should be fine. I was a bit achy on my trip and I remember being annoyed that the flight attendants kept trying to force food at me. I swear, as a big girl I felt like they never fed me enough. But your perspective changes when you can't eat anything! I was very tired for several days once I got home and in the routine of things (chasing then 2.5 year old twins around) but I think that was mostly because I'm a stomach sleeper. Once I started sleeping in the recliner at night I was fine. I needed to go to bed a bit early and I was a bit worn out (the very low calories will do it to you) for about a week to ten days from the date of surgery. After that, I was fine. If you get on your B12 and take it seriously and eat a well-balanced diet that includes a healthy amount of carbohydrates (we need them for energy!), you should be able to avoid feeling fatigued for a long time. I wasn't so diligent about the B12 and around one year out was dragging and forgetful. Just a few months ago I started on B12 shots and a new Iron supplement and WOW, it's like I have more energy than I ever had before. So make sure to get a panel done 6 months and one year post op to be sure you're on track nutritionally. Good luck! ~Cheri

Start easy! Get a beginner cookbook as suggested. I bought "How to Boil Water" for my absolutely unable to cook stepdaughter and she now cooks basic meals for her family. Another easy way to learn is by using a brand cookbook, though this is far less healthy as they'll rely on prepackaged, processed ingredients that might not fit your new lifestyle. If nobody taught you to cook, how can you call yourself a failure for not having immediate success in the kitchen? I'm self-taught baker and in the beginning I had SO many disasters and disappointments but as I continued to work at it I really did improve a lot. Now I'm good enough to sell my bread, Cookies and pastries to the local American community and I have to bake four days a week to keep up! Keep trying and don't be a quitter. Allrecipes is a great resource for recipes, too - just browse for simple dishes you'd like to make and go with the easiest recipes. Read recipes through TWICE before starting, too. You can do this! ~Cheri

Congrats, Frank. It looks like you're on the right track. I bet it feels great to say goodbye to the 300s, doesn't it? Welcome, and keep it up! ~Cheri

Congrats, Sherri, on your successes. Thank you for posting your experience and giving people a view of the longer term picture of life with the sleeve. We're all different in what we can/cannot eat. Being honest lets people researching know that for some people it's difficult after surgery. People should pay attention to this because we're all individuals that react differently, so comparing diet or speed of loss with everyone else is usually pointless. I say that knowing that we all do it! In any case, best wishes to you and I'm thankful you're a survivor. ~Cheri

Loss goes very slowly at the end. I lost the last twenty pounds very slowly over six months. I had entire months where I didn't lose a single thing, followed by a huge, unexpected drop of seven or eight pounds in a four day period. Congrats on your success so far. If you're worried about stretching your sleeve, it's unlikely that you have. It's more likely that you've slipped on the basics and gotten into a routine. If you aren't, log your food for three days. Don't modify what you eat because you're logging, either. Just count it all up and see where you're at. Nine times out of ten the issue is there. Make sure you're still getting your water each day, too. I'm rotten about this but when I get back on the water it always pushes that extra bloat out and I see a difference on the scale. If you're eating perfectly and exercising and still not losing - hang in there. It's tough. I'm at the point where I'd love to see 130 pounds but it's just not happening. It might just be that I've hit my body's stopping point. I'm very thin under my excess skin. Make sure you consider that, too, if you have a lot of extra skin. I'd be willing to bet that revamping your eating (cut your calories by 10-20%) and starting a strength training workout will give you those last few pounds. Best, ~Cheri

I eat bread now and did eat bread from a few months out. I bake a lot and make my own breads of all types - flatbreads, sandwich breads, pastries, etc. I cannot eat a lot of it, even close to two years out. I still can't eat an entire sandwich made from two slices of bread. Depending on what type of diet you're following and what your trigger foods are, I'd consider adding it in occasionally if it sits well and you won't have an issue with eating it. My bigger concern would not be carbs but physical discomfort or pain. Bread and Pasta are two foods that still, to this day, can push me from one bite being hunky dory to the next causing serious discomfort. So if you do it, go thin and go with a tiny portion to start. Eat slowly and stop as soon as you get your full signal (runny nose, hiccups, feeling of fullness, whatever it is for you). If you take it one bite too many, you'll regret it, I promise. An alternative that's more likely to sit well at this point is a piece of plain matzo or other cracker that you like, spread with the PB&J. ~Cheri Edited to add: I still can't do wraps or tortillas, either. They act like pasta to me - two bites and I feel sick. If you try this instead, go slow and small just like with bread.

This is a great thread - there is NOT a one-size-fits-all solution to weight loss or there wouldn't be a single obese person in the world. I like seeing not only experienced vets chiming in with what they suggest but also seeing pre-sleeved folks here educating themselves on life after the sleeve. This is what the community is here for. I wish the OP the best - she got dozens and dozens of great suggestions here and I hope that something clicks and becomes the answer to help her reach goal. It can be done. Just another reminder that there isn't a time limit. Your sleeve is not a pouch that stretches easily or malabsorption that stops working after a year. It's there and even if it takes far longer than you want to reach goal, know that you have the power and the tool to get there if you keep trying. Best! ~Cheri

Oh, girl, I understand! While I don't have real trouble maintaining, I have issues with the fact that I CANNOT seem to get any smaller, no matter how hard I try. Just hang in there, coops! You look amazing and have come so far. Every time I see a newbie with a vent about slow loss (that usually isn't so slow at all) I think of you and thinoneday...two ladies that have had long, slow journeys. You will get to goal!! Be positive and don't give up or slack off too much and you will get there. It's tough to drop those last few pounds. Our bodies simply do not want to give them up without an ugly fight. And thanks for the inspirational OP, Sassygirl - I lost in a similar pattern of stops and starts the whole time. In a typical month all of my loss occurred in a five or six day period after being stuck (or seeing a three pound gain) for the rest of the month. ~Cheri

A stall can happen anywhere along your journey. I regularly had short spells (not true stalls) where I wouldn't lose for two weeks or so. I had two longer, nine week stalls - one at six months and one somewhere after a year out. You know the drill for stalls, right? Log your food, measure your inches, get active and wait it out. If you're eating right and don't give up you'll break it and keep heading down to your goal. Hang in there. ~Cheri

Yes, B12 deficiency can cause fatigue and a host of other issues, too. But it sounds like you should talk to someone in person, if that's an option for you. Sometimes the start of the weight loss journey brings other issues we have (but blamed on the weight) to a head. It's not uncommon for people to battle depression after surgery. In fact, there's a sticky'd thread about it somewhere on VST! I'd get in to the doc and ask for guidance. Perhaps counseling could help. Vitamin deficiency could be a culprit and exercise will help you release more serotonin and help you feel less "down." This could be your signal, feeling this way, to get started on the head work that should accompany your surgery. Periods of depression happen to a lot of us (I've had my share!) but getting at the underlying issue can only help you in the long run to be a happier and overall healthier person. Best, ~Cheri