breezy

This may not be popular to say, but I work for a footwear manufacturer and am "in" with the designer. She says it is a gimmick more than anything. The most important part of shoes is the support and cushion, and that they fit YOUR foot correctly. Take it for what it is worth. I don't mean to slam anyone who swears by a particular brand at all. :001_wub:

I love the idea of going to Victoria's Secret to treat yourself! I have always had big boobs too (44H before surgery), and I'm not far enough along to have lost that much yet. I was tempted to start worrying about losing my boobs, but I'm not gonna do it. Sexy is more in my mind than it is in my cup size. I've seen a LOT of sexy woman that don't have big cups. I think I'll start now to think of my upcoming smaller boobs & body as "athletic and fit". I bet my back will feel better, and when I drop food, it won't hit my "shelf", but instead actually fall on my lap! :001_wub: I probably won't be able to afford surgery either, so I'm definately going to invest in sexy bras!!!!

That is SO FUNNY! And the "duct tape"! You guys crack me up! Backhanded compliment is right! Don't let it get to you, babe! You know you are doing good things for your body and "change is coming!":thumbup:

You deserve this! It will give you a whole new outlook on life. Keep us posted!

WHOA! You can _really_ tell how much you've lost by those pictures! Isn't it great to feel the tummy getting smaller? I know I can do my stretches so much better without my gut getting in the way! I wish I had taken such great before and after pictures! I'm happy for you!

Wow! No medicine for diabetes or high blood pressure?! That's GREAT! You've changed the path of your life from here on out......for the good. Congratulations! That's a BIG DEAL!!!

I love hearing about things like you have posted. It's so cool to lose dress sizes and be able to exercise longer. With 4 children, I'm not sure how you find the time to take care of yourself, so I give you extra kudo's for that!!! Thanks for posting your progress!

Thanks for writing! I got off my cpap machine within 5 weeks after my surgery! It is great to rub my face in the pillow as I settle in and get comfortable before sleep! And I sleep BETTER now without the air gaps that flutter and used to wake me up!

I don't know the answer to your question, but I'm glad you asked it. I'd like to know if there is a point where I am sure I won't get a leak, too!

:001_smile: You are SO RIGHT!!! So I guess I've got TWO things I'm doing for exercise, not just the Cher video!!!!!

I do a step aerobics DVD that Cher made years ago. It gets my heart rate up and is complicated enough that I don't get bored. I want to add other things in, but haven't yet.

Honestly, I still have doubts and fears. But my health is good, I'm losing weight, I feel better about myself, and I'm becoming more active because I'm not lugging around so much fat! I do miss pigging out sometimes, but I can eat anything I want, just not much of it. That's healthier anyway. I don't want to have a love affair with food. I want to have one with my family, friends and LIFE! So I squash the fears, am thankful that I have recovered so quickly, and use a baby spoon to eat my oatmeal!

I was confused about the straws because right after surgery they brought me fluids and provided straws to drink them with. I'm curious why the straws might be bad? I had trouble the first 8 weeks getting fluids down too. I had to experiment to see what worked best for me. I always kept something to drink at hand. I asked the people around me to remind me to drink. I found hot/warm drinks easier to take, especially flavored tea with some stevia in it. I also liked Soups and figured I'd get more fluids there. But even then I was only getting about 30-40 oz a day. I've noticed since I passed the 8 week mark that I can take a few sips in a row now. I still get the hiccups if I try to drink too much or too fast. But everyone has assured me that it will get better as time goes by, so I just keep trying.

Congratulations on the happy news! I don't have anything to add, but I knew the group (especially Tiff because she is planning to have a child) would have some good advice for you. Tiff: I knew you wanted to have a baby but I didn't think you were pregnant yet. Are you?

I made the "mistake" of throwing away all my smaller size clothing when I moved into a new house about 7 years ago. I think I had resigned myself to my weight and felt I would probably never lose much AND I needed the closet space! I have found a lot of things at Goodwill that are pretty nice. I think I will shop there as I lose the weight until I get to my desired weight. Right now, I just can't afford to spend a lot on clothes. Your 4-year old daughter must be a lot of fun! I love that age!

I struggle with snacking at night too. I've always felt like I need a taste of something sweet in the evening. What I did was put Keebler Grasshopper Cookies in the freezer. I just pull out 2 when I want a snack. That's not too bad. Of course, then I'm adding carbs to the day's count, and that will slow down my weight loss, even stall it. That's why I was glad when I was released to exercise -- maybe I can have my cookie and eat it too! :bored0: Thanks for writing! I like this April Sleevers group. We're on the same page and sharing the same part of the road. It's nice to hear how others are doing!

I had that same experience! My scale was "broke" at 206 until I started exercising, then I started losing weight again! "rocking my sleeve" I like that!

I live in a small town and I was pleasantly surprised when I went to my first appt. after the sleeve surgery with my general practitioner doctor. She was completely supportive and said she had a couple of other patients who had gastric surgery. This in a town of 400 people!!! I was afraid she would be critical of my whole decision of Mexico & the sleeve, so I was so relieved.

I'm post menopausal, so lubricant is a fact of life. It's no big deal and can add to the "spice" if used right! Experiment and see what you think! Am I the only one who never heard the phrase "baby batter" before joining this forum? I feel so naive!

Welcome Wendy! I'll look for your posts as you go through your journey!

You look great! Thanks for sharing the pics.

I was sleeved by Dr. Aceves. I had NO problems whatsoever beyond getting used to my new stomach. I've also been impressed that when I had follow-up questions after the surgery, I can just email them and someone gets back to me right away. I was surprised that they would continue to answer questions after the surgery, and I felt that was a plus. I would recommend him.

I've recently noticed I can take a couple swallows of Water in a row now, rather than just one sip. That's nice because I've had trouble getting enough water, too. Are you keeping up on your protein? Congratulations on the weight loss. Wearing smaller clothes is sweeeeeeet!

You don't buy clothes at Ross, Kymmi? I'm really hoping to be able to get some shirts there for summer. It sounds like you are right on track with the amount of calories and adding exercise. I know what you mean about "no if and or buts!" Something about spending $8000+ for the surgery has made me feel like there is no option but to use the tool I paid for wisely! That doesn't mean that I don't make poor choices sometimes, but I always get up the next morning planning better things to eat!

Christie, I did aerobics with my girlfriend again yesterday. For some reason, I really enjoy exercising with her. She's so upbeat and fun! Kind of like your friend. We agreed to do it 2x a week together. I have feet, knee, hip problems, too, but they're better since I lost some of the weight. I can actually go down stairs normally instead of placing both feet on a step before I go to the next one. Thanks again for the inspiration!