Swimmer

I'm seven years out and couldn't agree with this more. Spot on and my experience too.

I used to hate clothes shopping and didn't wear jeans because they never looked good. I also feared nothing would fit or have a PTSD like experience in the fitting room. But I had to buy clothes on the way down and finally once my weight stabilized I began to enjoy the process. Today I have a Jean obsession because they fit. It's bad and I went too far the other way. I look forward to the seasons changing and getting new clothes. I never thought I'd like clothes, but like many things in this journey I know things change. Enjoy the process your head will catch up eventually. Good luck to you.

I also agree there is absolutely a way to still lose weight and it's certainly not too late. That's ridiculous. I had surgery almost seven years ago and lost a little over a hundred in a year. I would say my sleeve was a great teaching tool for about eighteen months. And I suggest using that time the best you can. That said I had a gain at about five years post op. I was 238 pre, 219 at surgery and got to 129 in about eighteen months. By year five I got back up to 160 and realized I was breaking rules, eating around my sleeve and not as dedicated as I was before. I got scared and refocused. I got serious again and I've now been under 120 for awhile 114 this morning but it bounces about four pounds easily for me based on fluid. I am 5'6 It's never too late to go back to basics and the good habits you had right after surgery. All that knowledge is power and you are in control of this journey. Remember why you did this and channel that energy. We all need to refocus at times and get serious again when we start gaining it's a clue you let something change. Change it back. Best of luck, you can do this don't be discouraged. Refocus and enjoy.

I will say you can eat way, way more than I can. I do wonder if I have a very small sleeve. You say you are struggling to finish a meal. You shouldn't even try, lol. I would never be close. I can eat one egg and a sausage. I avoid potatoes and bread because it makes me so uncomfortable. As for ordering, nobody really cares. I don't have to offer an explanation and they really don't comment. If I'm with family I will say I'm having a bite of theirs and they never even look at me weird. If I'm with people and expected to order I find soup a great option. I order off the sides a lot or just all for a chicken breast. I've noticed I was way more conscience about it than others. Once I relaxed it was fine. I never had to explain myself. Now I do notice people eat less around me, but not my circus, not my monkeys. Forget about every being able to finish a meal, they are way too much anyway. Good luck.

Like others have mentioned some never get an appetite back. I'm seven years out and do not get physically hungry. It's different I feel like I should eat, but never hungry like before. I did have head hunger the first year, I never do now. As for the shakes I did the protein waters for a long time and that worked for me. Plain water and shakes were tough at first. Good luck healing. You'll do great!

Screw the nay sayers, trust me they won't go away. I'm seven years out and the one piece of advice I'd give myself back then it's not to tell anybody. People have all kinds of opinions some educated and some not. Do your research and if this seems like a good option and you are committed to change and ready to do this, do it. Keep your mouth shut and show them with action. They will begin to see your positive results and quietly they can watch the transformation. Trust me the negativity will be replaced with wanting to know what you are doing to look and feel so much better. What they think had nothing to do with you it's all about them. Be committed and quietly do your thing. It's not the easy way out and it doesn't matter how you get healthy or what people think. Today I am living a life I only dreamed about. I'm thrilled I didn't give into other's stupid ideas about how I should manage my weight loss. I just quietly did it and the people who were the loudest complainers are the ones asking how I'm doing it. I wouldn't change my decision for anybody. Do it, change your habits and enjoy your life. Good luck to you.

I started losing tons of hair three months out and continued losing for another three months. I didn't realize this happened. I was petrified as my hair was one thing I was ok with about myself. But it stopped and I didn't go bald and it got thicker again. When I start eating very little even now almost seven years out I notice a lot of it falling out and I know I need to watch my nutrition again. It will stop, you won't go bald, it's normal. Hang in there.

It can and does work! Best wishes on your upcoming surgery. I was so excited to have this done and looking back it doesn't even seem real. I couldn't be happier. There are struggles and challenges for sure. I've had some health issues pop up, but dealt with them all as they occurred. My biggest issue hag probably been iron deficient anemia but this can be controlled if you can take the iron. I cannot and I have to be diligent with my diet, but doable. I think the best part is you can't give up. I had a weird pattern of weight loss where I'd lose for a week and stall for three. Very frustrating but in those the stalled weeks my clothes would become too big and my body changed. In a previous life I would get frustrated by the effort and lack of loss and I'd give up the effort since it didn't appear to be working. I'm so thankful for my sleeve today.

Hi. I was sleeved 01/28/2012 so coming up on seven years. I was 238 at my first appointment (5'6 female) and 219 the day of surgery. I was 39 and wanted to lose by my fortieth. I was down to 129 within a year. I am currently 114 but at year five I bounced back up to 160. I have been holding steady now under 120 for about six months. It was a huge adjustment the first year for sure. I was cooking for my family a lot and had two kids. We entertained almost weekly and had a very active social life. Everything was centered around food and alcohol which I now was trying to avoid. Eating out felt line a punishment watching everybody else eat. But I just kept ordering and eating the way I was supposed to because my life was getting so much better. I could do things I didn't want to do when I was heavier. Eventually I actually craved the proper foods. I couldn't believe the mental and physical changes. Now I am very content with all the changes I have made and no longer feel cheated when others eat. I swim everyday and love shopping for cute clothes. My relationships got so much better and I have been unbelievably happier. My compulsion to overeat disappeared and life became enjoyable instead of something to endure. Do I wish I had done it sooner? Sure, but I needed to hit my emotional bottom and figure out why I ate compulsively first. I don't think I had the determination to do it correctly before that time. It was the best decision I've personally made. I love my life, my stronger, fitter capable body and the freedom from my weight that was literally weighing me down and holding me hostage in my own body. Today I embrace and love my life. I eat to live and choose healthy options. This works and has been such a gift. It's not easy the first year, but it's so worth it in the end. I still have a lot of restriction and it reminds me not so gently when I overdo it. I rarely do because I know how to eat for my sleeve now. Good luck to the rest of the forty somethings. So far this has been the best decade of my life! Good luck.

How wonderful that is really what it's all about!

I'm seven months out and had my first attack this past weekend. I would have the scan. I was not on any preventive meds. Hope it works out for you.

I'm seven months out and it seems like more of a regular full, but I've learned to eat slowly and very small bites. I hate that over full feeling and I eat so slowly now that it just doesn't happen much at all anymore. But if I over eat it still hurts and is uncomfortable like shortly after surgery. Best wishes.

Congrats. I gained 12 pounds with surgery. It took over a week to get it off and by two weeks the swelling was better. Best wishes. It will start coming off again. For me it was all the Iv fluids.

I was 38 bmi on day of surgery. I'm about seven months out and 26.6 bmi this morning. Good luck!

I had both of my eyes improve a full diopter each within a month. None of the doctors had ever seen such a reversal. They still trying to figure things out.

My Dr is at Rex in Raleigh near Wake and they have a nice wellness center there I saw when I went to talk to the nutritionist. I think you can join reasonably. They also have support groups there once a month for bariatric patients.

Hi and Welcome! I'm still in Cary. I'm doing great I have about twenty more pounds to goal and have lost over sixty now. I never did find a local support group though I do think there are some around here. I have found the support of the board here and my family has been good. Feel free to message me if you want any advice on the area, drs hair dressers or whatever. I love it here! Where did you move from?

I'm doing well. I've lost about 70 and am about 6 months out. I still have about 18 to go to get to my surgeon's goal. Raising calories never works for me. I just keep upping the work outs. You'll get the rest off. Good luck on your journey.

Mine changed after losing 60. Very odd.

How far out did most people stop taking them?I'm four months and stopped at two but felt sick so went back on them. I never had issues pre surgery.

Amazing!

It absolutely gets easier and better. Hang in there.

I have been stuck at 178 for weeks too and I'm about four months out. I barely eat and when I work out I swear I gain. I do feel like I'm losing muscle now even though I swim a lot.

I'm four months post op and can only eat about a quarter of a lean cuisine and nothing else. I'm supposed to be eating 1000 calories a day but it's impossible for me. I think I have an abnormal amount if restriction though. It takes me four meals to get through six inches of subway others at my stage can eat the entire thing.

At four months out ground beef or any beef can still be very hard for me.