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Search the blogs for the 3rd week stall, very normal. ButtertheBean has a great article about what our bodies are doing.

Really, this has less to do with the attention you get and more to do with how you feel as a person.

I really think this is great. And I am happy that Amy put this thread out there. So many people think it is just about losing the weight, but there is so much more to it and if you are not ready for all the changes that will happen in every aspect of your life, you may find it more difficult.

I have no clue - never happens :-/

It will!

OK, in all honesty, I do like the attention. It's not a lot, but when it happens, I take it in. Most of the time, I really don't even think people are even looking, although I have been told it happens frequently. I might flirt back, but that is the extent of it. I have been married for almost 10 years and with my husband for 14 years. He has been with me through it all, and we got engaged and married when I was my heaviest. I admit that sometimes I have fantasies, but that is where they stay. I love my husband and we get along amazingly. I would not trade that for someone that doesn't know me and I don't know them. Enjoy it, take it in, realize that you are beautiful and sexy, but leave the rest behind you.

That being said, if someone is in a destructive relationship and only staying because they do not feel they can do better, that the other person degrades them to the point of feeling worthless and trapped, and they have no self-esteem, one might have to re-examine. Losing weight makes one feel better about oneself, helps build confidence, etc. It might be what some need to leave a bad relationship...I have seen it on here. But make sure it is for the right reasons and not because you go with the moment or think the grass might be greener on the other side.

Have you tried eating veggies between meals, does that bother you? I don't have the problems you are having, so I am not sure what the best advice would be. Also for nutrients, you could try fruit. If you are worried about carbs, stick to things like berries. I like mixing strawberries with Greek yogurt so I am getting Protein in and fruits in. If you are getting the slimmies, you may be eating a little too much. I know 3-4 ounces doesn't sound like much, but if I ever get sick, it is because I ate too much too fast. Do you get protein in from other sources?? Sorry I am not much help, hopefully you can find a solution!

Isn't it sad that we don't think about celebrating for reaching such a huge milestone. I never thought I would reach mine, so when I did, I almost started crying on the scale. Then I called my husband and said "LOOK!" which I would have NEVER done before, let my hubby know how much I weighed. I called my Mom and told her, but that was about it. I wish I would have celebrated it more, although I do go out and buy clothes ofter

I have lost over 120lbs all together from my highest and have a some loose skin. But I have also had 2 babies and a c-section as well. But the skin is not so bad that it causes me problems. I actually had more problems when I was at my heaviest. Since you are younger, most likely you will not have many issues. I would expect some, but I guess no one knows for sure.

I was never prescribed B12 either. I take a Multi-Vitamin and a B100 complex (but I only started taking that more recently) as well as some other supplements and Vitamins. All my lab results have been perfectly normal up to now. You could ask your regular GP, but if you aren't having issues, why worry. I never had problems with Iron either, so you are not alone!

Hi ladies I am new to this and my surgery is scheduled for 2/26/13. I am amazed at your progress and think you all look beautiful!!! You r truly an inspiration to me. I am 5'6" and about 216 or so, medium frame. I know everyone is different, but I am curious to hear your input of what my goal weight should be? My doc told me 125 lbs but that seems crazy low for my height....would love to get some input

Wow, that seems extreme! I am barely 5'3" and I now weigh about 138lbs and I am just within the normal BMI for my height. With your height, that seems on the lower end of the scale, like he just grabbed a number out of the air. Go by how YOU feel and the way your clothes fit. Even thought I am at the higher end for my height, I only wear a size 4 or 6 depending on the brand.

Congratulations! I does really depend on your build. I am just a little over 5'2" and at 138 lbs and feel great. I wear a size 4 or 6 depending on brand and wouldn't want to lose anymore as I am already boney in my shoulders and chest an wouldn't want to look any more boney!

I was thinking of adding some of these to my green shake. Do they sell them everywhere? Or only healthy stores, cause out here in the boonies, the "health food" section at the local grocery is pretty slim.

I just eat Kellogg brand Bran Buds (similar to their all bran I think, but higher in fiber). I just get them at my local grocery store. I live in Canada, so I am not sure if you have the same in the states or not. I through them in my yogurt too! They are small and crunchy without the "brany" taste to them.

That is really sad, but not surprising as many doctors really have no clue to the real struggle with obesity and some of the reasons for it. If it was that "easy" and we all "appreciated" it more doing it our selves, we would all be skinny! The reality is, it just doesn't work that way. I have lost way many times, had to work my butt off to do it, only to gain it back and feel like a failure. I have maintained on the sleeve longer now than any diet I have ever been on. I am happy and healthy and that is what it really comes down to. This doctor of yours has obviously never struggled with her weight and is uneducated. If you want to approach the subject with her, give her information to read to help her really understand the surgery and obesity. Knowledge is power, and when we know better, we do better.

Do you think we can have fiber one cereal again? I liked the original that looks like rabbit food. It is 55% DV for fiber, low sugar, overall healthy cereal. I used to have it for years every single morning for breakfast before the surgery.

I eat Bran Buds (I make Protein balls out of them). I think it is healthy to have a high fiber cereal as it can help with things running smoothly because as you may know, sleevers can sometimes have problems in that department!

I am over 2 years post-op and maintaining for the last 8 months. I wish I could tell you exactly what I have eaten everyday, but I don't track anything. I eat lots of Protein (greek yogurt, homemade protein balls, shakes) for breakfast. I try to stick to veggies and lean protein for lunch and same for supper. Snacks are usually more greek yogurt with almonds and a few chocolate chips and fruit. I limit how much bread, rice, Pasta, crackers (basically the white stuff) that I eat. I will a couple of TBSP of rice or potatoes with a meal if I have made them, but I never eat bread unless we are out and it is garlic bread (oh so yummy)! I try to drink as much as possible, mostly Water and Arizona Lemon Ice Tea (sweetened with splenda, not aspartame). So far, I have really not had any issues maintaining. I gained a little bit through Christmas, but lost it within 2 weeks when I went back to normal eating habits.

That is one of the prettiest dresses I've seen! Looks fabulous on you darl'n. OMG you look like one of those girls who have been skinny all her life? How much was your pre surgery weight and how much have you lost in how long??? Inspired!

I am not sure if you are asking me, but I will tell you anyway! My highest weight was 260lbs, my surgery weight was 220.5lbs. From my surgery I lost almost 83 lbs and it took me 18 months. Slow and steady wins the race I guess! I have been pretty stable now for about 8 months.

Part of success is having a great attitude. I kept losing after a year, so don't be discourage. I kept losing until I was about 20 months post op. And from what I have learned through the place I had surgery, sleeve patients can continue to lose for even 2 years.

I get plain 2% Greek yogurt or make my own and then just flavor it with french vanilla stevia. Like another person mentioned, watch the labels. Some are not really Greek yogurt. All the label should say is milk and cultures. And watch for flavored varieties as well. They are usually sweetened with sugar.

I would say, by definition, I was a slow loser. I had a total of 80.5 lbs that I wanted to lose to my goal after I had my surgery.

In the first 6 months, I lost 55 lbs. Then, it slowed to a crawl.

In the next 6 months, I lost 21.5 lbs

I stalled at this point for 3 months and I actually thought I might be done losing, then I lost 3 more pounds, now at 15 months post op.

Once again I stalled for about 2 months and thought I was done losing, still about 5 or so pounds from goal, but I was really that worried about those 5lbs.

Then, 18 months post op, I hit my goal weight of 140lbs and 80.5 lbs lost. In the months following, I dropped a few more pounds!

Now I have a 3-4 pound weight fluctuation. My cycle is a major factor in how much I weigh, so I try not to let it bother me. I can go up as much as 2 or 3 lbs during ovulation and 3-4 lbs during TOM. My weight loss near the end only really occurred in the 2 weeks in between Tom and ovulation, so I highly encourage women to really pay attention to their bodies. I also get wicked cravings and have a very hard time not wanting to eat everything in my path. How do I cope with the cravings? I do not keep anything in my house that I know I will eat.

Now I am over 2 years post op and have not had many issues maintaining for the last 8 months. I am still learning as I go and I still make mistakes. But over all I would say I eat healthy 90% of the time, and 10% of the time I don't. If I am going to be truthful, I never counted anything (calories, carbs, protein), I never weighed anything, and I don't exercise by definition regularly. I did follow my post op guidelines. I rarely eat bread (but I will eat garlic bread when out for supper) and I eat very little other "white carbs" like rice, Pasta, flour, sugar (notice that I did not say never). I do not drink with my meals, I still occasionally drink Protein shakes, I eat a lot of greek yogurt sweetened with stevia, drink 2% milk, eat nuts, and enjoy veggies AND fruits. I will still have an ice cream cone once in a while, I will still eat chocolate and I will still have other treats as well. I just do not keep them in my house so they are not tempting because I do not have any more will power now than before surgery if food is sitting in front of me (hence a 4 lbs weight gain over Christmas that I am happy to report is all gone again).

I wanted to make changes that I know I could live with, maintain, and be happy with for the rest of my life. I am happy with the weight I lost, and even though it was slower in the "sleeve" world, it was still faster than any other time I had tried to lose weight in my life. My new habits are firmly entrenched, and even if I stumble now (like Christmas), it is not difficult to get my head back in the game. I would not change what I did and how I did it and I love this tool that I have been given!

Actually they were very modest...partially naked and no photos. I am doing another consult in a few weeks; time to recover from the trauma.

I would have felt even better if I could have just worn my underwear!

OMG! Standing totally naked in front of the 3 cosmetic surgeon consults I went to for a TT was one of the worst things I have ever had to do!!!! I also had an email consult with a mexican doc and I had to email him all kinds of naked body shots! That was just as horrible! I just crumbled inside and grinned and beared it!

You know to them it is not a big deal, they have seen it all. But speaking for myself, my husband does not even see me naked, let alone a complete stranger!

I think it is a great idea! And I think it helps to put in perspective what "slow loser" really means. I have been sleeved for over 2 years, but it took me 18 full months to reach my goal weight. Cheri, I would say that I took a similar stance to you, although I did not track anything or count calories/carbs, etc. I made changes to my "diet" that I felt I could live with and sustain for the rest of my life. Because I chose not to follow a radical super low carb diet or exercise an insane amount, I did lose slower. But I do not have a problem with that. I still lost faster than any other time I had attempt to lose weight, and for the last 8 months I have had little issue maintaining my current weight.

I really wish that people would not compare their weight loss to others as there are so many things that affect the rate at which we lose. And I also completely agree about people taking a radical stance, reaching goal, and then stopping their efforts because they think the sleeve will do it for them from then on. That is the point that you have to be even more conscious. At 2 years out, I can eat a lot more than I could at 6 months. I think if I would have reached goal in six months, I am not sure how much I would have learned about making good choices and eating a normal diet. That six month frame really is where the sleeve does a lot of the work for you. Because I lost slowly, my good habits are very well entrenched in my everyday life and I have little problems sticking to many of the "rules" that I learned in the beginning! Am I perfect? Far from it! But I am maintaining and enjoying life!

I'm going to wear my Stars and Stripes thong when I go cause when else am I going to wear it?

And I am going to miss it!

Sweets - I never really though about how I will have to stand naked in front of that surgeon! Isn't that weird? I'm not even comfortable looking at myself unclothed in a mirror! Oh boy!

When the assistant starting taking "before" pictures, I actually started crying. I have spent my whole life not liking my body and being embarrassed. Now, even with the weight loss, the saggy skin bothers me a lot, so it was really hard. But to tell the truth, the surgeon made me feel more comfortable than I thought I would be! But be prepared, I wasn't even allowed to wear my underwear!! I got to stand in all my buck-naked glory!!

Being in front of a plastic surgeon, completely naked, and having them tell you everything that could be fixed can leave you feeling very vulnerable. I know too, I was there!! I was also told I was the perfect candidate for plastics and would have excellent results, which made me very happy. But I still struggle with self image and a distorted perception of my body. Most days a I feel huge, even though I only wear a size 4 or 6. So I know where you are coming from. I am not even 5'3" and weigh 137-138 pounds, on the higher end of normal for my height. Some days I feel like I should be smaller and that I should work hard to lose a few more pounds, even though I am below my original goal weight of 140lbs. But at the same time, I can see my ribs, I wouldn't want my face to be a thinner than it is, I can see the ribs in my chest above my breasts and my shoulders are boney, almost to the point that it bothers me.

It is this sad distortion of reality that every woman should be under 130lbs. We rely so heavily sometimes on the scale rather than by the shape of our bodies. I am coming to realize that we all carry our weight differently. I checked out this site at one point where there are pictures of all different women with their height, weight, and clothing size (http://www.mybodygallery.com/). It was a real eye opener as I searched just my height and size and the weight range was anywhere from 115lbs to 145lbs! All the same size clothing but a 30 lb difference in weight!

I do understand where you are coming from. I have spent my whole life being overweight (I started gaining in Kindergarten, was on Slimfast in Grade 5). Our brains do not see our shapes the same way everyone else does. Logically I know I do not need to lose anymore weight, psychologically, I think I should weight 125lbs even knowing I would not look good at that weight. Obviously your surgeon can see what a great shape you have, regardless of the numbers on the scale. Also, BMI does not take into account muscle or bone mass. It is simply a height to weight ratio. And trust me, most men weight a LOT more than 165lbs. My husband is a small man, only 5'7" and he weighs in the 160-165lbs range. Most men weight 180+ pounds, so you are definitely not what a man weighs!

If you are healthy where you are and feel good where you are, try not to let the scale define your self worth (I know, it is the pot calling kettle...but I am honestly working on it!)

And PS. Cheri, your doctor is crazy! Maybe he should do a little research on weight ranges and healthy body weights, yeesh! I am glad that you are smart enough than to let him define what you should be, good for you!

I am so sorry that you are having such a terrible experience. I really can not give any advice as I do not know what you are going through. I do know one other person that had a similar type of problem with vomiting almost all the time. Her sleeve was not made correctly and extremely narrow on one end. They used an endoscopy and stretched it out and after that she did not have the same problem. So the stent might work. But I would also consider a second opinion before going through with a bypass. Although I really do understand of how much help it would be, just the idea of all the additional problems it can cause would make me hesitant (dumping, Vitamin deficiencies, etc)

I am praying for you for a resolution to your issues and a quick recovery.