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I hope I do not get a lot of backlash, but I just need someone to talk to. I am 18 months post op and I have finally reached my goal weight. I have went from a size 20-22 to a size 6 and have lost 81lbs since surgery and 121lbs from my highest. The problem is I struggle everyday trying to wrap my head around my new body. I look at other women and always wish I was as small as them, and then my husband says "You Are", but I just can't seem to believe him. I go into stores, and the sales clerk will say I need a size small, and I know I do, but it still almost feels wrong. Even when I look at more recent pictures of myself, I still struggle. I have been heavy my entire life, right from Kindergarten. I was constantly teased and ridiculed for much of my life. So it is a lifetime of body image issues to try to overcome. Plus, I also have pretty bad skin hanging in my stomach and arms, but cannot afford plastics at the moment..so I am sure that does not help. I have been going for counseling to try to deal with my issues. Is there anyone else out there that has really struggled?? What helped you to overcome it??

Please do not compare yourself to others. Everyone loses differently, and people that are heavier lose it faster in the beginning as well. It just gets depressing if you start comparing. Try to look at it in perspective...do you think you would have ever lost 35lbs and 6-8 dress sizes in just 7 weeks!! You are doing amazing! It has taken me 18 months to reach my goal, and I couldn't be happier. It was slow going, but I just steadily lost little by little. And I know that I would have never lost 81lbs in 18 months on my own. I know because I had done it before, once losing 83lbs, once losing 70lbs. It took me over 2 years both times, and extreme dieting and extreme exercise to get there. With my sleeve as a tool, I can live my life fairly normally and still lose. I am like you, when I had my surgery done, my children were 14 months and 3 years. I find it hard to fit in exercise, so I aim for 2-3 times per week if I can, and I stay very active with my children. This is your own journey, so celebrate the amazing success that you have had!

I saw someone mention BIOSIL, and I would like the second that. You can get it in liquid drops or pill form. It is not the same as Biotin. It is a silicone supplement, and I found that it was the only thing that helped me. It also helped my eyelashes grow and my nails grow. The liquid is nasty, make sure to mix it well in a little bit of juice.

Thank you for this post. It took me a long time to accept that I was a slower loser. It has taken me 18 months to reach my goal of losing 80lbs, and I couldn't be happier. I know I would have never lost that much in that amount of time without my sleeve. I have lost around the 80lbs mark before, but it took grueling works outs and strict dieting to the point to exhaustion. With my sleeve as a tool, I am able to watch what I eat and live an active lifestyle but not feel deprived! I know it is not easy, but try not to compare to others. Everyone loses at different rates, some people have more to lose and drop a lot more in the beginning than others (I know someone who has lost over 200lbs in the same amount of time that I have lost 80, but she still weighs more than I did when I started for example). This is your journey, so take the time to Celebrate your own victories and successes because they are yours and no one else's!

It did this http://www.venusianglow.com/2010/07/tutorial-tightening-bra-band-without.html It doesn't work with cup size, but helps with band size. I also bought new hooks and made the band tighter that way for a little while. Your straps are closer together, but it makes them last a little longer!

It sounds like you are doing fine to me. It has not even been 2 months and you have lost 34lbs! You have to stop and think of how amazing that is and try not to compare to others. Stalls are totally normal. I have had stalls that last anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, especially the farther out you get (I am 18 months post op). People with less the lose a lot of times do not lose as fast, but you have to look at it percentage wise. I know someone that lost over 200 lbs in 1 year. That being said, she still weighs more than I did before my surgery. Lastly, do not get discouraged. I was a slow loser. I had 80lbs to lose. I lost the first 55lbs in the first 6 months, and I just reached my goal about week ago. I have learned not to compare. In the past I have lost weight, once 80lbs and once 70lbs on my own. It took me over 2 years of killing myself to do it. I would have never lost 80 lbs in 18months without the sleeve. Hang in there!

I agree, at only 2 weeks out, eating those Cookies is not a good idea. sugar free Jello or popsicles are a great idea. Or sugar free pudding, it is sweet and rich so it will fill you up too. Also, if you find a Protein Shake that you like that is sweet, try that. I had a vanilla one that tasted like a vanilla milkshake, and a chocolate one that tasted like chocolate milk. By eating those cookies so early out, you are setting yourself up for a bad start. The first few months of the sleeve is the best time to help establish good new habits. The sleeve is an amazing tool, but remember, it is exactly that, a tool. It is not a magical cure, and you can eat a lot of things that are slider foods that will sabotage your efforts. It doesn't mean you will never get to eat any treats again, it just means you have to learn to treat them exactly for what they are, treats. Good luck finding something that you enjoy to replace those cookies!

I have tried the zucchini noodles with a julienne peeler. I used a little margarine and some salt on mine instead of pasta sauce. I really like zucchini, so I liked it. I also eat the real thing though, but in moderation. I couldn't eat pasta for the first at least 6 months, it made my stomach upset. Now I can eat a little, and I do enjoy it, just not very often. Treat the regular stuff like a treat. Good for you for looking for alternatives. As for the spaghetti squash, it sounds like you did not cook it long enough. I am not an expert though, but if it is tough, leave it a little longer. Good Luck!

Wow, does not sound right at all, not 14 months out. The only time I have vomitted is if I have eaten too much. And it has never been that I could never make it to the bathroom. That really sounds like she is either having some major issues that she needs to talk to a doctor about or she has develop a eating disorder. She really needs to discuss with her doctor though. I know one person that their sleeve was made too tight at the bottom and she threw up a lot. They did an endoscopy and were able to stretch it enough that food could pass through. Everything was getting stuck when it hit the narrow part and had no where to go but back up. I am 18 months out, and I know a lot of sleevers, and not many have that problem. Usually problems with vomitting are in the first couple of months due to swelling, acid, and adjusting eating habits.

I have lost just over 120lbs and need a tummy tuck. It is not so bad that I get infections or anything like that, but it is pretty saggy. I also have had 2 children and gained and lost weight repeatedly. I also have been overweight since Kindergarten, so my tummy has been stretched for a lot longer than some that gained weight later in life. I think it just depends on the person. You have to see how you feel about it, whether you feel it is bad enough to warrent a tummy tuck and then go from there!

Oh, and if I can make one comment, and please, I am not trying to offend anyone. I think that we need to get away from setting extremely lofty, perhaps even unrealistic weight loss goals. I know we are a little women (under 5'3"), but that doesn't mean we have to weight 115lbs. I am afraid that some people are setting themselves up to be extremly frustrated and disappointed. Of course some people will get there, but some of us will not. What happens if you cannot reach that goal no matter how hard you try. Will you accept it, or will you continue to live a life of beating yourself up for not expercising enough, eating less, trying harder, etc....just like we did when we were at our heaviest. I set my goal so I would be just withing the normal BMI range, and even now I find it so frustrating that I cannot get the last couple of pounds off (my goal was 140lbs, even though I would love to see a 3 in that number for the first time in my life, ever). I would hate to see people struggle and berate themselves if they cannot reach a goal that perhaps is not physically attainable. I am working very hard on trying not to focus on the numbers, and instead focus on the fact that I have lost almost 120lbs all together and can wear a size 6, and even a size 4/5 depending on the clothes. Never in my dreams would I have thought it possible! Hang onto the big picture and this amazing experience and chance to start over and make things better rather than those last 10lbs! I think we would all be much happier (including myself).

I am not quite 5'3". My highest weight was about 260lbs, my surgery weight was 220lbs. I had my surgery November 29, 2010. I now weigh 142-145, I fluctuate alot day to day, and I wear a size 6. I have a lot of skin (2 babies and almost 120lbs gone), so if I had a tummy tuck, I would probably lose a few more pounds and wear a smaller size. I would like to get below 140lbs, but right now I am just maintaining. If I actually watched what I ate more and got my butt moving, I could probably get it off! I love to read everyone's success stories, it is inspirational to me! Thanks for sharing!

Firstly, you are doing awesome. I frankly was lazy and didn't start an exercise program until I was about 9 months post op. I would use your own heart rate monitor. Those ones that are on treadmills, especially if you just have to hold on, are so unrealiable. That is great that you were able to go a little further than a mile. It will just get easier and easier. Good luck!!

I would work on the walking first. You are doing awesome, and I would just work on getting to 3 miles first, and then work on speeding it up a little at a time. Running is very tough, and especially if you have had knee problems in the past, the impact might hurt them. Plus, if you get injured, then you will have to quit all together. Stick to the 2.4mph and just slowly increase your distance or time. Once you can walk the whole 3 miles at 2.4mph, increase your speed to 2.5 or 2.6 and see how you feel. Do that for a week, and then increase again. Once you are walking at a quicker pace, say 3 or 3.3 mph, then you could try adding in the jogging intervals at the start of the program. It is best to start off slowly. If you go too hard to fast, you will burn yourself out and hate doing it, or worse, get injured. You have done the right thing by getting active first! Keep it up!!

So I thought I would give myself a little push for the last run of week 4. Since week 5 gets longer and longer, I thought I would see how long I could go. So I did the normal 3 min jog first, 90 sec rest, and then I started into my 5 minute run, thinking I would try for 7 minutes, I passed 7 minutes, and tried for 8, then once I got passed 8, I figured screw it, I am going for 10! And I did it! 10 minutes straight running, then 2.5 minutes walking, then another 3 minute run!! I was so excited. I am not going to push like that next run, let my body recover, but now, week 5 is not looking quite as scary!

It is empowering! I am so determined to do this, and it is funny, but I am just as proud if not more of this achievement than having the courage to fly to Mexico alone and have the sleeve done. Good luck and keep us posted!

That is Awesome Indymom! I am also on week 4 of the couch to 5K. My whole life I have wanted to run, but never thought I could. Now that I am over 70lbs lighter and only 13lbs from my goal, I figured it was about time to get my butt up and moving. I felt the same as you...I didn't think I could do it. But I did. I did day 2 of week 4 today. It was tough, but I am glad I tried. I am looking at week 5 and pretty nervous. I might repeat week 4 again just to get stronger. Running 20 minutes straight by the end of next week, I am not too sure. I am glad that I found someone who is trying the same thing as me!! Good luck!

You are right, you need to slow down. I am 10 months out and still have the same feeling if I eat to fast. In fact, on occasion, because of eating too fast, I have ended up eating too much and it causes a lot of pain. I do not recommend it! Good luck!

Totally Normal. In my support group meetings, they have told us approximately 85% of patients have hair loss. I am almost 8 months out, and started having significant hair loss at 3 months. It has slowed down now, but I was pulling out a lot of hair in the shower. Even though I knew it could happen, it still freaked me out. Some things I was told that might help are extra Zinc and Biotin supplements. I haven't been faithful at taking them. Some people have had success taking them, others, nothing worked. Don't worry, it will stop and start to grow back. Once your weight loss slows a little is when the hair loss usually begins to slow. Be proud of your accomplishment, and remember (I think anyway), it is a small price to pay for a lifetime of health and happiness in your new skin!

you just have to search. She does have some of her stuff in groups if you look along the left hand side, like ice creams and cakes.

I am going through the exact same thing. I am down almost 50 lbs (sleeved Nov 29th) and about 35lbs from my goal. I have gone from a size 20 to a size 12, but still feel like a size 20. I still look in the mirror and feel fat. I even had my husband take some pictures of me the other day so I could maybe see what other people were seeing, and I all I saw was how fat I was. I think it is a very difficult transition and our brains have a hard time catching up. I am hoping mine does because it isn't healthy to keep feeling that way even though we are not fat anymore!

Oh, I like that idea, and the sugar free jello...I never thought of that one....definitely have to try those both out!!

You are pretty early out, I would not try to take them all at once again. If you can get them in, spread them out for sure! In the beginning, I rarely took my vitamins because they made me so sick. I had a chewable multi-vitamin which I tried to take twice a day, but even that sometimes made me sick. Now I am almost 5 months out and I can take 5-6 pills at once (I swallow them in groups of 2 or so at a time). I have to make sure that I have eaten though, or I feel like I am going to throw up. It will get easier!!

I am 5 months out, and I do not drink with my meals. It makes my stomach upset, plus it was in my guidelines...no drinking with meals. It was for 2 reasons...it can make you sick and even make you throw up. Also, fluids help things digest faster, so to stay feeling fuller longer, don't drink. As for your other question, I am almost 5 months out, and in the last few weeks, by weight loss has slowed right down. I am hoping it will pick back up again, but I will have to see. I have been lucky so far and have not had a real stall and I am over half way to my goal in 4.5 months.

I agree with the other posts. For a male and the amount you are working out, I do not think you are eating enough. Also, have you had a blood workup done?? Maybe there is an underlying medical reason such as a thyroid problem or insulin problem. Also, is there any medications that you started in this time period?? Some medications can make you gain weight as well (or stall losing). And I also agree with checking your measurements/clothing sizes. Even though you haven't lost anything, I am sure your clothes are fitting better. Good luck, and congratulations on staying motivated. It is hard to keep going when you have such a long stall.