Strangefruit

I went to Chipotle and got a naked burrito bowl - chicken, cheese and mild salsa... I got 4 meals out of it.
I am looking forward to being able to add onions, peppers and other stuff, but for now its a very satisfying change from fish. I am trying to go high Protein and low carbs, so no Beans... Anyway, it was delicious!

After work yesterday I did my normal routine of going to the gym then home to cook dinner for my husband and I. There was a pair of pants that I bought a month ago that I have been dying to get into.. they are a size 16 and when I first had surgery I was in a 24! So feeling good after the gym I decided I am going to try them on... when I bought them I couldn't even get them up over my tummy... to my amazement they FIT... I could button and zip them with no issues!! I could not believe it. I have not worn this size since middle school and I am 29 years old now! This was the greatest feeling... in 4 months I have worked my way down to a size 16 pants... I just wish I could lose it in my top half more as I am still wearing a 22/24 up top. But that's ok because I know eventually it will happen, but 86 pounds later, much smaller pants and have never felt this great about myself!! Happy Thursday All :)

No regrets. I am 2.5 years out and pregnant and my biggest complaint is that the lactose intolerance that was making itself known with small inconveniences became a full blown issue post op. It would have happened anyway, but it happened sooner due to the sleeve.
And yeah, any of us *could* have lost weight on diets before and likely tried. And likely failed, or we wouldn't have seriously considered the sleeve, am I correct?
The difference? My tool is permanent. Everyone is different but you're still fresh out from surgery without even six months under your belt. Willpower and the Atkins diet will only get you so far, even if you cut out most of your stomach. The real difference here is that I had a tool to keep the hunger under control, the portions in check, and the scale moving (albeit slowly) while I worked on the REAL issue behind my obesity. Which wasn't an inability to eat a special diet or hop on a treadmill - it was an emotional attachment to food. I was an overeater (and totally in denial about it) and I had a completely unhealthy relationship with food. Diets? I'd done those for eighteen years and failed before I finally found a way to eat like a normal person who has never had a weight problem.
And all the rest of it: being thin, being more active, keeping up with my kids, no longer being diabetic, having great blood pressure, not suffering from joint pain and a host of emotional/mental perks like regained confidence and losing the social anxiety that had plagued me for years - all of that was just the icing on the cake in the rebuilding of my new life.
I owe every bit of that journey to my sleeve. Without it, I couldn't have focused on anything but how hungry I felt on the current diet.
You're doing great. And I've seen a number of people go back and forth on this. I can't speak to what you could have accomplished without surgery. But I can tell you that in my experience, no diet was going to last the seventeen months it took me to get to goal and it wouldn't have given me the extra tools I needed to not just lose the weight, but the baggage.
~Cheri

I have been private about my surgery - meaning it is not in the company newsletter, but it is not a big secret either... A few people have asked me about what I am eating because they SEE what I bring for lunch - and I truthfully tell them that I am following an Adkins-like diet - high Protein and low carbs... but no one has asked if I had surgery... If someone asked me point-blank, I would say yes, I had gastric sleeve surgery...

I have some measure of regret every day. I feel like the OP, that I could have done this on my own so far, and my wife is in my ear daily telling me the same thing. I do know that eventually I would stall (with or without the surgery) and get discouraged and feel hopeless. Without the surgery I would just cave into those feelings, like always, and start gaining it all back. My hope is that with the surgery, I won't be as prone to (or as able) to sabotage myself that way and that I will at least have a shot at maintaining whatever weight loss I acheive. I know for a fact that if I lost it on my own (been there, done that) I would not be able to maintain forever and I would be one bad week away from stuffing myself or carbing out and starting down the path to regain. So yes I have second thoughts (especially while I'm stalled here) and wonder what I could have done on my own if I really applied myslef one last time, but I am also hopeful that this tool I have been given will keep me on track long term and if a miracle happens and I reach goal, it will make it easier to maintain that goal.

I tell you what... there ARE some days when I don't feel like I am losing enough or fast enough or I am not seeing the changes in my body that I would like to see change and then my husband wants pizza or Wendy's for dinner and I just look at him and go...
"Some days I swear to god I should have just stayed FAT AND ENJOYED THE DAM BACONATOR!!!"
So to answer your question?? YES! There are some days when I absolutely regret it but I think it's more of a teenaged rebellion type feeling even though I am 27 with two kids and have been married for almost 6 years lol. I think if I were older or had more health problems prior to the surgery I might feel differently but I was textbook healthy beforehand except for being morbidly obese. It brings back all those thoughts of only doing it for vanity's sake and wanting to do things without feeling like I was the elephant in the room (pun intended)
There are also days, like when I get to throw away "fat clothes" or when I have no appetite at all or when I think I am starving and instead am satisfied off of two tablespoons of food that I couldn't be happier with my choices.

Good comments, all... I agree - I have lost weight before, but could never KEEP it off... I needed to hear that from people who "get it". )

I have been private about my surgery - meaning it is not in the company newsletter, but it is not a big secret either... A few people have asked me about what I am eating because they SEE what I bring for lunch - and I truthfully tell them that I am following an Adkins-like diet - high Protein and low carbs... but no one has asked if I had surgery... If someone asked me point-blank, I would say yes, I had gastric sleeve surgery...

I think you have to look at your own history. I asked myself the same questions (getting sleeved Feb. 4). My dieting history suggests I can stick with something for about 6 months. I know I would lose about 60lbs (but I need to lose twice that). Whenever I've had success I swear I'm going to maintain the new weight, but I haven't. Without the sleeve, I know I'll work really hard and lose some weight but not enough, and be contemplating the sleeve again in two years. That's 2 years of additional health problems.

No. I think most of us have tried this kind of thing without surgery and found it impossible to stick to. The sleeve makes it possible. I had a lap band before my sleeve (2007) and was just revised 3 weeks ago. I experienced life with my band working (lost 70 lbs, rarely hungry) and life after my band failed (regained almost all of it). This is better than my best days with the band. I don't regret it at all, but I certainly have a bit of grief for the things I can't eat now. It's part of the process.

Hi all-
I'm looking forward to having gastric sleeve surgery some time in the next few months.
I currently live in Brooklyn, work in NYC & am often out in NJ.
I'd love to connect with other LGBT & gay friendly people in the NYC. Let me know if you're here.

I went to Chipotle and got a naked burrito bowl - chicken, cheese and mild salsa... I got 4 meals out of it.
I am looking forward to being able to add onions, peppers and other stuff, but for now its a very satisfying change from fish. I am trying to go high Protein and low carbs, so no Beans... Anyway, it was delicious!

You look HOT !

Isopure Alpine punch is the only Protein I can tolerate now... I did Premier Protein shakes for pre and post op, and now am totally SICK of all of those sickeningly sweet shakes... I do Isopure over ice with a wedge of lime in my glass... sometimes when I am feeling froggy, I chill it in a martini shaker and serve it in a martini glass!

I found my old friend this morning. I step on the scale and it read 198. Have not seen that in 20 years, since blowing by the first time. Hopefull I'm blowing by in the right direction. Down 52 since Nov. 5th., I love my sleeve. Very happy to be in onderland!!!

Hey guys!
So I was craving the taste of pizza. So I used what I have and it came out pretty good! Reminds my of a grown-up version of the lunchable pizza's which I love! (Loved) lol
Heres what you need [or substitute for what you have =) ]
I used :
1 wassa Rosemary cracker
One tablespoon of New Mans own Natural Marinara
One table spoon of Skim Milk Ricotta cheese
Half of a slice of Colby Jack cheese ( I didnt have low fat mozzarella but the Colby has so much more flavor!)
a sprinkle of Italian seasoning
6 slices of Hormels 70% less fat Turkey Pepperoni
I put my cracker down, spread the marinara, sprinkled the italian seasoning. Then added my ricotta (small chunks I didnt spread it) and then cut up the pieces of colby jack and put it on there. Last put on my pepperoni and then put it in the microwave. maybe 15 sec watch it,,,you want the cheese to be melted.
After putting it in my fitness pal it came out to be 145 calories, 10 carbs, and 11 grams of Protein =)
I can only eat half then Im full So I save the other half, or only use half a cracker if I know I dont want any later.
Enjoy!

So, I was sleeved on 10/22/12... I have been working really really hard, but last time I saw my surgeon (Dec 18) he said I wasn't losing fast enough... My starting weight was 255, and my reward goal is reaching ONEderland...I plan to buy a fitbit. So, I re-doubled my efforts...get in my Protein, eat very low carbs, and excercise on the treadmill for 45 min. EVERY day.
I only weigh on Monday mornings, as not to get too discouraged...last Monday, I was 208.9... this morning I get on the scale (scale is at the same place on the floor, wearing undies only, right after my shower) and the scale said...
197.8. I almost fainted. I stepped off, let the scale reset to 00.0, and stepped on again. (I always do this)... 197.8. I run back to my phone so that I can log in my weigh in Lose It... Then I think - I should take a PICTURE of the scale! I return to the bathroom, ditch the robe, step on the scale and...
208.3. WTF!!?? I let the scale reset to 00.0 again and step gingerly on... 208.3. No matter what I do, it doesn't budge. I am sooooooo bummed... I told my husband, it was like getting a lottery scratch off and having it say you won $100,000... then, have the decimal point move and you actually won $10.00.
I will buy new batteries for my scale this evening... but now I feel as though maybe it is been wrong all along!? I am trying not to make it a big deal...but it really really is.

Lost 44lbs so far. Down from a 22/24 pants and 2x shirt to an 18 pants and xl shirt. Today 2 months ago I was having my surgery. The best thing I could of done!!
How's all the Nov sleevers doing????

OMG you had me in stitches laughing so hard!! Okay now I agree it must be shocker how could it do that to you? I actually have a scale called "Thinner" that has a life-time lithium battery in it. Maybe it would be worth to get one with this type of battery to prevent this from happening again. You will get to under 200 pounds! Just hang in there!

I host a local sleevers group here called VA DC MD Sleevers. Feel free to join!

To answer about when sliming goes away: I would state that between month 5 and month 6, the consequence of sliming or getting the stuck feeling in chest reduced drastically even if eating too fast. Agree with others here that you want to develop a habit of chewing and eating slow, but a least you know that sliming will become much less in a couple more months for you. I do not know why this is the case, but suspect that it took 5 months for the stomach to heal and the swelling to go down. I can drink a lot of Water now in a short period of time. Eating 3-4 ounces of chicken no longer causes me pain or sliming when eating over 5-10 minutes. However, I do slime if eating around 5 ounces around the same amount of time.
It is best to continue to follow the best practices for eating until you get to the point where you can judge what your stomach allows. Being able to interpret the body signals is something that really helps to prevent overheating and/ or sliming as time goes on so you don't have to rely so much on the rules that we get as new sleevers (eat x ounces amount of food and take y amount of time to eat it).
You will learn to eat to satisfaction rather than to fullness. Some days, you will need to eat everything you put on your plate ( even if it is only 3-4 ounces) and other days you will not. it is all about interpreting the body signals to know when to put down the fork and stop eating for a meal.
Good luck and I hope this information (from my personal experiences) helps you.

It's a long learning process complicated by the fact that certain foods will bother you at certain times and go down easily at different times.
I had to re-learn my capacity (with lots of tossing up food) when I got pregnant. I felt like I had more room and sure, I do, but that means ten bites of steak instead of six...not fifteen bites.
Certain foods make this harder - if bread, Pasta, rice or flour tortillas are involved they swell once they hit the stomach. For me, I can go from perfectly fine to discomfort in just one small bite. So always watch those foods until you learn your limits.
Don't be so hard on yourself. I was a fast eater that took big bites for nearly 30 years prior to surgery. I didn't just unlearn that habit in only a few weeks!
You'll get there. I'd say lesson learned but sometimes it takes a while.
~Cheri

I follow these rules but every doc/nut. Is different, 6-800 calories , 64 ounces Water, 30 or less fat and 40 grams if carbs. At 9-12 months (maintenance) 8-1000 calories and 65 grams of Protein. I lose 10-12 pounds then stall for 3-4 weeks (which is really needed) I've lost 61 pounds in 6 months (Monday is 6 months) and I've gone from a 20/22 to a size 10/12 petite . Hope this helps, don't give up!

Hey, I was sleeved 02/29 and I had the same problem. It was so hard to go from being sedentary to wanting to exercise. My suggestion would be to start small. Slowly work your way into it. Don't try doing 1 hr on the elliptical your first time. Remember even if its only 10 minutes of movement thats 10 minutes more than you were doing. Then I would either increase in 5 or 10 minute increments.