backtolife

As of this week's weigh in, I have officially lost 30% of my body weight. And today the scale was at 200.8. I am this [ ] close to Onederland!!! Oh how happy I am. I still can't believe this is real and it feels so good. So to Celebrate, I'm heading to the gym!
Onederland, here I come!

I am pre-op, but based on reading I've done since February, I'd say everything in moderation AFTER you've reached your goal. Otherwise, you may lose a lot slower than you'd like, and there is a window of opportunity here that will be gone in 12-18 months. Good luck!

WOW. you all are doing great.
What big losers
Congrats and keep it up !!

I am having a mini celebration today!!!
Tomorrow will be my 5 month surgiversary and as of today I have lost a nice round total of 80lbs!!!! Started at 293 and today I am 213!!!

Mine looks like that as well, I had long side bangs cut to cover the spot and it looks good now. I use big fat hair collegen spray while it's damp flip my hair upside down to blow dry when I flip it back it's about 2 feet high and I just smooth it into whatever style, and it looks great. My stylist asked me "you didn't think you were going to be a skinny "B" and have sexy hair did you?" lol

Add popcorn to the list. I hate that I can't seem to say no at the movies. It's amazing how much popcorn I can eat, but give me something healthy, and I'm full way too fast.

Every time I see the word "bougie", I hear "Do the hustle!" I think I just dated myself horribly!

Wow that is all so great!
Who is proud of you? THIS GIRL!!! LOL!!!

Who got in 70g of protein today? THIS GIRL! Who got in 60oz of water today? THIS GIRL! Who KILLED their teacher demonstration today and had offers from all 4 principals? THIS GIRLLLLL! Today has been a great day! Even though I do believe I may be at the horrid 3 week stall, nothing is stopping my happiness today. I'm going out for a drink....of water! Lol

I love this site! I get all my questions answered and you all have never steered me wrong. My top 5:
#5 milk of magnesia is the nectar of the gods! That stuff works like nothing else. And with no discomfort.
#4. Stalls happen. Deal with it. The weight will come off. It has no choice. I can't maintain all this fat on my current caloric intake.
#3. Plan your meals ahead of time. If you dont know what you are going to eat, you are more likely to make poor choices.
#2. Never trust a fart! That is one I just took everyone's word for. I have no desire to learn that on my own. I trust you all!
#1. If I think it or have a question about it, put it on the board. Someone out there has experienced it before and knows what to do!
What have you learned?

Yesterday went shopping and I must say I loved every min of it!!! I was a size 24-26 and now I'm a size 15 and xl or large top omg I just love seeing my body reshape and change day by day !! And to think ill be only 5 months out next week still half way but feeling great, awesome, wonderful and SEXY! lol

Goodwill/second hand is the way to go for clothes. I've lost 45 lbs but still wear the same undies. Some are big but most fit just fine. I only bought a few new ones for control when I wear dresses.

Very good suggestions! I just never thought I would see the day that I forget to eat! Haha

Bad habits aren't broken overnight! Don't beat yourself up. You had a really bad day, you messed up and now it's back to healthy living! You're aware now of situations now that can cause you to "fall off the wagon", so start mentally formulating a plan to deal with anger and stress better. You have done a FANTASTIC job!! 65 pounds already? That is a major accomplishment, lady!!! Way to go!!

Little over three months out, and I too am so dang happy that I get on people's nerves!
NSV - I am no longer hiding from the camera!
50-ish down, 50-ish to go!!

How about watermelon w lemon n chilli powder?

Highly unlikely. The sleeve is made from the least stretchy part of the stomach. It is possible to stretch it out a bit over time, at least theorhetically, but it would be pretty minimal. As swelling goes down from surgery, you will have more and more capacity to eat, but this isn't the same as the stomach stretching.
Many new sleevers over eat at least once or twice when they are still learning the "new way" of life. Be sure to always measure before eating and you won't have to deal with the pain or nausea that can come with overeating.
Lesson learned, I am sure, right?

Reminds me of something similar. When I tell people how much I weigh, or weighed, and they say "you don't look that big." Like I wasn't big till they found out how much I weighed. Now I'm huge.
They think it's a compliment but really it's an insult. It's kinda like talking to someone on the phone, and then when you finally meet them in person and find out what they look like, saying "you don't sound that ugly."

Well, I'm 6'1" and have a 30" inseam (short stubly legs), so, my stomach, in theory, should be longer than all y'all. I have crazy restriction 11 months out. As long as you follow the rules of not drinking with your meal and eating your Protein first, you will feel the restriction, too.
Don't follow the rules ... your results will vary. It is up to you, not your sleeve.
As pointed out, the size of the bougie really doesn't matter. I can see where a person with the largest size and a longer stomach might be able to eat 6 small bites of dinner where a person with the smallest size could eat 5 bites ... do you really think that 1 additional bite is going to make THAT big of a difference?
If you think so, then walk 10 additional minutes each day and there you go.

The truth is that as time goes on you can eat more than you could in the beginning. However and this is really important...it never goes back to what it used to be. I used to think that if my sleeve is letting me eat more as time goes on...then it will continue to do that. Mine does not. I am about one year out and I can eat at times more than I could BUT like someone above said...never the amount i once could. It's good that it opens up a bit, right? I mean you can't only eat 2 bites forever? BUT what it allows you is still very reasonable and that's the brilliance. Now having said that I will say that the more I eat...the more I can eat. The less I eat...the less I can eat. I don't know why but it's true. If I find myself wanting to eat more and pushing the limits...the sleeve seems to let me get a bit more in. But if I go back to liquids for a week I find that the sleeve suddenly refuses to let me eat the same portions as it did before. This is a wonder to me. And I love it. So don't panic. You will have victory!

@~Cheri .... I am only 9 days post-op but your comment was/is very moving....if you don't mind, i am going to print it and pin to my inspiration wall.... thank you for words of wisdom...
tjmom/sandy

I go up and down with my capacity as my time of the month nears, too. I swear that darn sleeve relaxes when I have PMS!!
Look - half a sandwich and a hard boiled egg is NOTHING compared to what you would have eaten a year ago. I'm going to say something you might not like but I really want to help you. I think you're scared that you don't have the self control to eat "normally" and that you want the sleeve to do it all for you. On one hand, you're in luck. That sleeve might expand enough to fit a whole sandwich (sans crust, of course) but it's not going to fit a whole pizza or a value meal from McDonald's again. It's unlikely you're going to expand much at all from this point onward.
Part of this process is learning to eat normally. We need to view food as vital, as nourishing and as energy instead of as a source of comfort or something to feel guilty about. Around 18 months out I noticed an increased capacity (FINALLY!) and did the same thing - I freaked a little bit. But what was I freaked about? I was finally able to eat TWO eggs scrambled with cheese instead of only one. Big whoop!
You are not losing control. You are in control. There will come a point when you need to eat more in order to maintain your energy and your goal weight. Slowly learning how to do it without scaring yourself, losing control or seeing a gain on the scale is an important part of the process. This is what nobody talks about when they talk about surgery! Dealing with the mental aspect of the surgery is the most important thing you can do for yourself. Your stomach didn't make you overweight - something in your head did. Figure it out. Limiting yourself too severely because you're afraid eating will cause a gain is an eating disorder just as surely as overeating in the past was a disorder.
If you aren't already, track your calories. Sometimes I get a lot of comfort from seeing numbers in the same ballpark each day and knowing that I'm eating the right amount of food even when I feel like I'm overdoing things.
Good luck,
~Cheri

Invisble woul be nice right now. Both to others and to my stupid critical eye. I don't like this. I lost the 1.8 and now at 50.8# at 11 weeks out. Everybody out there who saw me before: thanks for noticing, now shut up and let me deal with it.
Gah. Where's my atavan???

I wish someone had told me everyones experience would be completely different. I had no pain, no gas, no tube down my throat. I did have a drain and staples that had to be removed, painlessly.
I have never had the slimes, or hiccups when I am full. However if I take even one bite too many or too fast I gag like I'm going to vomit. Not a pretty sight.
I did not become lactose intolerant, I need all my drinks ice cold and hate any warm or Hot Drinks.
I never had to have another Protein shake after my surgery, I'm not cold all the time, I didn't have a 3-week stall. I thought I would miss bread more than I do. Same for burgers. I miss Pepsi more than I thought I would.
I never knew that plain Water could taste so different. Brands I loved before I can't even swallow now.
I wish I had taken "before" pictures so I could see the results that the scale says are there.
I wish I hadn't taken so much stuff to the hospital, and also not worried so much about having enough stuff on hand for the mushy stage (unless you live an hour from a grocery store!) because my tastes changed dramatically after my surgery.
I wish someone had told me how good I would feel after even losing just a small amount of weight.
But mostly I wish someone had told me about this years ago-My life would have been so much different.

Was sleeves may 13 2010 I tried everything nd I mean everything to loose weight before the operation I weighed 240 lbs. I size 18 Now I am half of me I weigh 120 I find it hard to believe it is me but it is I am a size 4 as to date I drink my water and coffee I find it settles food I live in small town and no support system. Family. Was really my support I went from 7 pills a day to none today well a vit on the day I was to be operated on they told me I was a diabetic and I said no. And they said yes I am and that would have ment more pills As I lost weight my energy level is so much more I just ran first 5 k. And I do kettle bells which has toned 10 and half inches And if u find uR self not loosing weight it may be inches instead of lbs good luck to all and yes I would do all over again. Drink your water and exercise