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I hear you! I am honestly not sure if there is anything you can do. It is a really hard area to target, but search for inner thigh exercises and you might come up with some. I know that you can get them lifted too, but I heard that it is one of the worst spots to have plastic surgery done.

Personally, I think your doctor is off his rocker! The average weight loss in the first month (as I was told by my surgeon) was 10-20lbs. Now, of course there are lots of variables, and the more you have to lose, the more will come off in the first few months. My stats were very similar to yours and although I can't remember exact numbers, I lost between 20 and 25 lbs my first month! What a way to discourage you and make you feel like a failure. You have done awesome!

You are right, they vary wildly in quality. If you read the labels, many of them are nothing more than candy bars in disguise. I don't eat many, but one I don't mind is Quest. They are fairly low calorie, low carb, high fiber and high protein. I find they taste the best warmed up in the microwave. They are a different texture than your typical bar, no fake chocolate coating and on the chewy side.

So I have read through all the posts on here, and I agree on some and disagree on others. I am getting close to my 2 yr anniversary, so I am not sure if that allocates me as a veteran, but I do think have a more experience than some. Here is my take. The rules are there to help people develop new habits. I used my first 6 months to develop new eating habits that I could live with. Did you read that part, that I could LIVE with. I do worry about some of the people on here that go to absolute extremes with post-op diet, obsessing over every calorie, carb or Protein gram that passes their lips. Neilsleeve, you are correct in that. We were all good at diets, but diets are not something that you can live with forever. I never counted or weighed anything. BUT, I did use that time, like I said, to form a new routine, a new way of looking at food, and a new way of eating. I think telling people to go out and eat whatever they want is not good advice. Like ButtertheBean said, there are the people out there that have not dealt with their issues and are just waiting for someone to say it is ok to eat a chip. I don't think people can go into this surgery expecting to not change a single thing and have a positive result. Sure, you will lose weight. Will you reach your goal, maybe, maybe not. Will you be able to maintain, chances are probably not. The further out you are, the more you can eat. And trust me, although it is nothing compared to what a person could eat pre-op, if you aren't careful, you can eat a substantial amount. And if you continue to eat foods that are unhealthy, you are going to be in trouble. How do I know, I have seen it. I have seen others that have went through the same program that I have. They have not changed anything. Eating chips and crackers, eating fries everyday and justifying it by saying, well, I can just eat a little. And some of those people have lost the weight, only to start to regain. Maybe not the 100lbs that they lost, but all of a sudden they have put 20 or 30 lbs back on, which is harder to lose 2 years out than 2 months out. It takes 1 year to form a new habit, take the first post op year to form yours. I do completely agree with the obsessing. Now, you have to do what works for you. But, cutting out complete food groups or going to eating extremes does not form a healthy relationship with food nor do I think that it is sustainable for the long term. If I like Bananas and I post a recipe with Bananas, I am not asking you to come on here and preach to me about how "fattening" bananas are. Do they have carbs? Yes. Are they higher in calories than other fruits? Yes. Are they unhealthy? No. If your world is consumed by every morsel you are putting in your mouth, you are going to be miserable. Like I said, I have never counted anything, and I have never dieted. But I also know my trigger foods and do not keep them in my house. Does that mean I never have anything that would be classed as a treat? Hell no! I have ice cream, I have chocolate, and I have chips. They key is, I only have small amounts and I do not have them often. The key here is healthy, lifelong changes, not diets. The last point I would like to make, and sorry for the long post, but it was touched on, is the guilt and shame around food. We have spent our whole lives feeling guilty and made to feel bad about what we eat. It creates a vicious cycle of eating something we think we shouldn't, feeling guilty and beating ourselves up, and then eating more to shove down the pain of the guilt. The sleeve is an opportunity to develop a healthy relationship with food. And it is not easy. There are days that I still struggle. But I have worked very hard at putting those feelings in their place. If I have a few chips, should I feel bad about it. No? If I eat half a bag of chips, should I feel bad? Equally, no. Learn from it and use it as a chance to change. Tomorrow is a new day and use that new day to make better choices. Let's stop beating ourselves up and berating ourselves every day. I am not going to let food define who I am anymore.

I buy the plain stuff and then sweeten it myself with sugar free syrups (DaVinci or Torani) and liquid stevia. No added sugar other than the sugars that occur naturally in dairy.

You could also try the Jello Sugar Free pudding mix cheesecake flavor spread on graham crackers, maybe a little sweeter than straight cream cheese. Sounds yummy thought, I will have to try it!

Same as above. It is to shrink your liver. When they go into do the surgery, the liver is in the way, and overweight people tend to have larger livers. When you go a very restrictive liquid diet, it shrinks the liver. It reduces the risks and complications of surgery (just google "liquid diet to shrink liver). So as difficult as it is, know that you are doing it for the safety of yourself. It has nothing to do with losing weight or looking good before/after surgery...that is just usually an added benefit to the liquid diet. The program I went through, the higher your BMI, the longer your liquid diet. Some people have had to go on as long as 4 weeks. Best of luck, you can do it!

Congratulations! You look amazing and I am so glad that you did this! I don't think there is anything reserved for people that have reached goal. And hang onto 1 pair of those pants. I go rid of everything except 1 pair of my biggest pair of pants. Whenever I feel down about myself, I pull them out and remind myself about how far I have really come!

It is new territory for them. My husband made comments like that too (and, as I said, has a little healthy jealousy!). I have told him over and over that he is my everything and he never ever has to worry!

I think despite what the media tells us, there are men and women out there that find a full figure attractive and sexy! My hubby has loved me and has found me attractive no matter what size I have been.

I am always blown away by what people think is ok to say! I am glad that you are putting a positive spin on it and are using such a nasty comment as motivation! You will be gorgeous!

I was told about 3 months. You have to be careful because of the husks in the kernals. Eating it too early and they can get stuck in your sutures. I love popcorn and have continued eating it after surgery. You just have to enjoy in small quantities. It is a slider food, which means you can eat a lot of it (think of a wet piece of popcorn, how small and mushy it gets!). And like the above person mention, if you can pop your own, that is the best. Then you can control what is going on it.

He is most likely worried. I know my husband was, but it was very supportive and still is to this day. He actually has a little bit of a harder time now because I am getting more attention from other men and it makes him jealous...which he hasn't really had to be in the last 12 years! But when I ask him if he thinks I am too skinny now, he always says no and that it makes him so happy to see that I am finally happy and confident with myself. The only thing he has fessed up to missing is my big boobs! But he is also very willing to pay for new ones (I want them...he is not arguing!).

I am so sorry that you have had to endure this. You can hear a million times that the chance of a leak is so tiny (1%), but you never think it will happen to you. And it can happen with the most experience surgeon. I am praying for you and a speedy recovery. I know 2 others that have had leaks, and it is a long road to recovery, but you have made it past the worst of it. And I know it sounds crazy, but the 2 people I know still say that they do not regret having the surgery. I hope in the end you will feel better than ever! Take care!

Problems with excess acid are common. Go talk to your doctor about getting a prescription for a good PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor). It stops the stomach from producing acid and should help.

i don't think a small amount of sugar is going to be a deal breaker, the problem is when it becomes a slippery slope. I have been trying to get away from artificial sweeteners and i have found a stevia product that I love! It is NOW Bitter Stevia non better alcohol free extract. I find no bitter taste with it and it works amazing! I sweeten my drinks with it, my yogurt, everything! I have heard that coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index and works well, but it is expensive and I have not tried it. Try a few natural sweeteners and see how you do! Good Luck!

I am almost 2 years post op, and you will be able to eat normally again. In the very beginning, she is right (although everyone is different). You can literally only eat a couple of tiny bites. It is because your stomach is extremely swollen from the surgery. As it heals, you will be able to eat more. Just remember to eat slowly and chew well in the beginning. Go to fast and it will all be coming back up.

Yup, I really lost a lot off my chest. I am not even sure what my cup size was for sure, but my band size was a 40 and that was tight! Now, depending on the bra, I wear a 32DD to a 34D. I lost steadily off my chest, but it has been the last 20lbs or so to goal that I noticed the most coming off. It was beginning to feel like every pound was coming off my boobs! The only drawback is they are pretty deflated now. I have been heavy most of my life and breast fed 2 babies and my poor girls kinda paid the price. Nothing a good bra can't solve! The only other thing is my hubby finally fessed up to missing the bigger boobs!

I have struggled literally my entire life. I started putting on weight in Kindergarten and by grade 5 had been on the SlimFast diet (shake for Breakfast and lunch, then food for supper). I lost weight in high school after working my a** off and got as low as 153lbs. I only stayed there for maybe a year, 2 tops before I started putting weight back on and was the heaviest I have ever been the day I got married. I was ridiculed constantly in school, so I know what you feel like. I think for people like us that really have no idea what it is like to be thinner, it is a really difficult adjustment. I am now a healthy 136lbs, wear a size 4/6 and still have trouble seeing it in the mirror. I still looked a thin women and wish I looked liked them, and I still feel like people are looking at me sometimes thinking, she can't wear that, she's too fat. It has been almost 2 years since my surgery, and only now am I starting to see myself as a normal size person. As for your friends, it probably is strange. They can see the changes to the outside probably more than you can. Change is hard for people, and to see you getting smaller and not being the fat friend anymore is most likely a challenge for them and intimidating. Are they still being supportive?? If their attitudes change towards you, then I would not consider them very good friends. If they are still supportive and they are happy for you, you could give them a little slack. Think of yourself as inspiring them to get healthy!

Like so many have said, everyone is different. My first piece of advice before I say anything else is don't compare yourself to anyone else. Sometimes you have to look at where people are coming from that have lost 100lbs in 3 months. Not all the time, but likely they have more weight to lose, 150-200 lbs (ex: BlueOctoberGirl above has lost 156lbs total). The heavier you are, the faster you lose. I had about 80lbs to lose, and lost 41 lbs in the first 3 months. At the time of my surgery, I only had a 3 day pre-op, so I did not lose anything there and in the beginning I was average to a little slower than average weight loss. If you put the pressure on yourself or have the expectation to lose 100lbs in 3 months, you are going to be miserable. As for your husband, I think everyone is right. He loves you and I am sure he isn't even thinking about it. Going with him, being there with him, and having a good time would mean more to him than you being 100lbs lighter!

It actually took me 18 months to even reach my goal, and now I have dipped a little below. But I am happy that I have been pretty much maintaining for the last 4 months. It was a frustrating battle not losing as fast as others, but I think it really helped me entrench new habits because if I didn't, I wouldn't lose the weight! And you can eat a lot more. I still have great restriction almost 2 years out, but I can still eat a fair amount. At a sitting, I could eat a small chicken breast (3-4oz), 1/4-1/3 c veggies, and a few bites of something else (sometimes a little rice or Pasta, but I only have literally 2 tbsp). I had heard at 6 months out about how much you can eat at that point is what your capacity will be, but, for me anyways, I would say closer to a year. It is a huge learning curve, and learning how much you can eat without feeling overfull or sick is a balancing act! There are still days that I eat too much and don't feel good! Good luck with the pouch test, you can do it!

You are right. We are so incredibly hard on ourselves because we have been beaten down our whole lives not just by others, but by ourselves. We should know better, we can't have this, we can't have that, we are failures. It just creates a vicious cycle of guilt and shame then over-eating because we feel bad, then more guilt and shame. Everyday is a battle for me to overcome all these little demons inside. But I try to keep perspective. If I eat a small ice cream cone, it isn't going to make me gain weight...it is eating them everyday that will. It is important to learn to be kinder to ourselves.

I am almost 2 years post op (I don't need chewables or liquids), and I was doing searches online and found a few different sites comparing Vitamins, and how good they are and how absorbable they are, and so on. According to these sites, not all vitamins are created equal. What I am wondering is if these comparing sites are legit?? This is one of the sites I was looking at: http://www.multivitaminguide.org/ What's everyone's experiences?? Had anyone heard of some of these vitamins before? Xtendlife?

I am almost 2 years post op so I will try to give some information that has helped me. I still follow a lot of my post-op guidelines like CowGirlJane mentioned as well. For the most part, I stay away from the white stuff. I eat Protein and veggies first with a meal. I never drink with my meals. I eat a lot of protein and drink a lot of fluids. I do get physically hungry, but there is a difference between being actually physically hungry and head hunger (just search for it, there is probably a million threads on it). Head hunger is the hardest battle. Most days I win the battle, some days I lose and end up eating a lot of things I shouldn't. The one thing that I do that keeps me on track is not keeping any of that stuff in my house. I also like chips, crackers, salty foods and would eat a lot of them it they were there (they are slider foods, so you can eat a lot more of them as they just kind of turn to mush in your stomach). I know you don't like hearing it, but it really is only a tool. You still need to make changes to your lifestyle in order to maintain. I am not saying that you should go on a special diet, I see a lot of people do that and I am afraid they are setting themselves up for failure because it is hard to maintain. For me, I made changes that I knew I could live with. I have lettuce wraps to get rid of the carbs in the bread, I eat a lot of veggies, I do not drink anything if it is not sugar free (except on occasion). I still will have other foods like ice cream and chocolate, but in moderation. Am I perfect at it, HELL NO! I still make mistakes sometimes, I still overeat sometimes. But I don't let one bad day (or even a few) throw me off. I just start over again. That is the beauty of the sleeve. Yes, you gained 4lbs, but before the sleeve it could have easily been 40lbs! You have caught yourself before it has gotten out of hand. And you probably really cannot eat as much as you could before surgery. It seems like a lot compared to what you can eat in the beginning months, but I am still guessing it is not as much as before. I would start by tracking what you eat for a few days. What are you really eating? How many calories are you getting in? Protein? Water? Get back to the basics. You could also try the 5 day pouch test (http://5daypouchtest.com/plan/theplan.html). It was designed for bypass patients, but I have seen many sleeve patients have success with it. It is a good way to get rid of those cravings. I know myself if I start eating high carb or sugary foods, I crave them more and more. One blog that I love is The World According to Eggface. My Favorite quote from her is: Weight Loss Surgery is not a DO-OVER (repeat same mistakes = get a similar outcome.) Weight Loss Surgery is a DO-BETTER (make lifestyle changes you can continue forever.) You can do this! Just keep your eye on the prize! Don't trade what you want most, for what you want at the moment (also from Eggface)

You could try the pouch test. It is actually for bypass patients, but I have heard of many people using it to get back on track with their eating. http://www.5daypouchtest.com/ From what I understand, you can not "stretch" out your sleeve in the same sense as a bypass patient can stretch their pouch. What is left of the stomach is the more muscular firmer part and stretches very little. I am not sure if you track or not, but maybe start writing down everything that you have been eating and just see. You could also be retaining fluids from hormones or salty foods. You can do it! The thing that I have found that is wonderful about the sleeve is that it is so much easier to get back on track and get things back under control!