anayortiz

To give you all a little background information. I started the process with Kaiser February 6, 2013. Kaiser requires that you do the following before your paperwork is submitted to the board for approval.
1. Complete GB1(1st month) and GB2 (4th month) Class
2. Complete a weight control class
3. See a nutritionist for 6 months
4. Get a mental health evaluation
5. Sleep Study
 
So as of today, I have done the GB1 class, sleep study and have seen my nutrionist twice, my thrid appointment is April 9th. I'm hoping to get my approval for surgery by the end of July and have my surgery the first week in September.
 
I have been planning to have this surgery since October of last year. I could have started the process sooner, I just had to switch my insurance over to Kaiser, which I did January 1st.
 
It seems like since I knew I was getting surgery, I had been eating almost everything in sight. Well not really, I've just been eating out almost everyday. I'm not sure if it was becuase I knew that I may nto be able to eat these things again, or if I was eating out of fear. I had a breakdown in February because I realized that everything about my life was about to change. Now, I've been skinny before and I know how my life was then and compared to now, there is a significant difference. I just don't know if I'm mentally ready to take that on right now. I tell myself that I don't have an addiction to food, but for me to go from 180lbs to 305lbs in 10 years says a lot. 305 lbs is my highest weight EVER. I've gotten close to 300 and got scared, seeing myself over 300 has taken a toll on me emotionally. Now I have to loose 15lbs before July 9th with my nutritionist and I'm feeling like I can't. When I know I can because I've done it before. I know it's all a mental game, but I'm loosing.
 
When I went to see my nutritionist on Feb 12th, she said I had lost 5 lbs. When I went back on March 13th, she told me I gained 2 lbs back. I couldn't understand it. So now I need to loose the 2 lbs that I gained before I go back on April 9th.
 
Wish me luck!

50 lbs in 5 months, it was slow but it sure feels good !!

50 lbs in 5 months, it was slow but it sure feels good !!

50 lbs in 5 months, it was slow but it sure feels good !!

HI everyone,
 
next week will be 3 months of having surgery and I find myself without ENERGY, with no desire to do anything, not sure what the problem is but IM NERVOUS, I need to give my weight loss a push but can't seem to get ANY ENERGY at all.
 
My feet and hands are always cold too, not sure what that is all about either.
 
Does anyone have any suggestions for me ? Will see surgeon tomorrow and plan on telling him what it's going on.

HI everyone,
 
next week will be 3 months of having surgery and I find myself without ENERGY, with no desire to do anything, not sure what the problem is but IM NERVOUS, I need to give my weight loss a push but can't seem to get ANY ENERGY at all.
 
My feet and hands are always cold too, not sure what that is all about either.
 
Does anyone have any suggestions for me ? Will see surgeon tomorrow and plan on telling him what it's going on.

not loosing weight like others have, this friday the 19th It will be my 1 month anniversary and have only lost 14lbs, total 25lbs since the pre-surgery diet.
 
could i be doing something wrong ? please get back to me with some feedback.

I am not feeling euphoric anymore. In fact, I've experienced some tiredness that can only be relieved by long naps. I know I'm still better mentally, however, because I WANT to do things; but I'm just having to rest in between. It feels like now I am settling in for the long-term effort of making this surgery part of a successful lifestyle change.
 
My incisions look great and the itching is subsiding. I've not had a problem with liquid intake; I judge this by light urine color. Getting the protein is a little harder because it fills me up quicker. I tend to want to drink 10 oz and then lay down; and when I do that . . . sharp pain, then Pepcid AC & Tylenol.
 
I guess this is going to cure my habit of napping after eating.
 
Well, today I tried Isopure Zero Carb strawberries and cream. It is light without being watery; and tasty without being overly strong. It has 50 g protein for 210 calories. I am anticipating that when I begin trying to lose weight in earnest, this product is going to be a lifesaver. Right now I am just considering myself in the process of healing, staying on liquids, and not considering weight loss a current goal. Of course, I can't wait to weigh on Monday and I hope to see a loss. I think I will because my bra (which usually is overly tight) feels comfortable now.
 
Something I found interesting: Starbucks Doubleshot Energy White Chocolate 15 oz "fortified energy coffee drink" has 11 g protein and (only) 210 calories. I thought that was pretty cool. Who knew?

I am so happy I made the decision to have the Sleeve surgery. I am living again!!!
I went to Kohls and bought me this cute dress. A size 2X!...! ME?!.... not 4x but a 2X?! I am so proud and happy!!
 
If you are still wondering if this surgery will get you results, wonder no more. DO IT!! get motivated, get ready to put in time and effort. Be ready to make real life changes for a better you. Really commit to follow the rules and guidelines that your medical team will put in place for you. Give it your all, and watch the magic happen babyyyy
 
I am so happy, I could cry!!!!!!

Welp, I did better than last week and lost -3.1 lbs this week. I'm definitely starting to see patterns in my body, and how it reacts to things throughout the week. On Wednesday I weighed in at 185.6, today (only 2 days later) I'm weighing in at 187 lbs. I'll take a loss, no problem, but it intrigues me how my body bounces up and down a pound or two during the week. One of my healthier habits I've acquired since surgery, is weighing myself only once first thing in the morning when I wake up, and not doing so again until the next day. I use to be obsessive compulsive about weighing myself multiple times a day, praying I would see some kind of loss, if even a few ounces. By only weighing myself once a day, I feel like I'm seeing much better results and not dwelling on it as much.
 
Things I also know that have been working for me are laxatives. On Monday I tried miralax dissolvable (pre-measured packets- love it) in my coffee and it worked wonders. On Wednesday, I tried a good old laxative pill and it worked wonders as well. So now I know that if my body needs a little push to dump the toxins out of my body I have options. I'm very wary of taking any laxative every day because your body becomes dependent on them, and I do NOT want that to happen. I've been fairly regular up until last week, so trying different things this week brought a lot of relief to my system, and my numbers dropped as well.
 
I will say that my biggest NSV to date happened today. I have about 20 pairs of jeans ranging from size 16 to size 8. About 3 weeks ago I was able to squeeze into my size 12's that have been getting looser and looser. Today being Friday and jean day at work, I decided to reach for my prized (slightly expensive, but fabulously fitting) size 10 jeans just to take an assessment of how they fit and how much farther I have to go. I put them on, and to my shock and amazement- they fit. Perfectly. No muffin top either. I went and looked in almost every mirror of my house just to make sure I wasn't hanging out or fooling myself. Nope- they fit! I felt overwhelmed with emotion this morning, over a pair of jeans. It's been YEARS since I've worn them, and even then I remember the last month or so I was able to wear them, I was wearing spanx and girdles trying not to bulge out thanks to the evil muffin top! After I got in my car, got my son to school, and just started thinking- I went into a Zen like state. I just felt like everything was going to be okay. I don't know what my all-time ultimate goal weight will be, or when my body will stop losing weight, but right now, the feeling of having my beloved size 10's fit me, is enough to praise God and count my blessings. I love my sleeve!
 
Height: 5'9
 
Highest Weight: 216
Current Weight: 187.0
 
1st Goal Weight: 169
 
 
Sleeved:
(8/17/2012): 216 lbs
 
Week 1 (8/24): 204.8 (-11.2)
Week 2 (8/31): 200.6 (-4.2)
Week 3 (9/7): 196.8 (-3.8)
Week 4 (9/14): 193.5 (-3.3)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 9/17/12- 1 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog
Week 5 (9/21): 191.6 (-1.9)
Week 6 (9/28): 190.1 (-1.5)
Week 7 (10/5): 187.0 (-3.1)

I am so glad it's done!! I can't believe how good I feel. I love not being hungry. Loooovvvvvve it.
 
I had a pretty easy time of it except the night after surgery I had some terrible pain right between my breasts, kind of at the top of my abdomen.
 
I assumed it was gas but it wasn't. I felt better after a morphine shot and med to sleep.
 
And now no pain at all! Yay
 
Dr Kelly's having a special in Oct. $5200.
 
After that new bookings will be 5700.
 
If anyone's interested their coordinator's (Omar Acosta) number is 619-395-5347.
 
I want to write a detailed summary of everything that's happened but I'm too tired tonight.
 
Goodnight Sleevers!

Can not believe how much time went by since my surgery!!! I am grateful of the results that I have enjoyed so far. Like most slow losers, I wish I had lost more! But things are moving along. I am making changes that will not only help me lose the weight now, but keep if off in the long run.
 
I just went through a super stall, BUT to my surprise I got the most comments and compliments during that period!! Go figure lol!! My upper body slimmed down significantly, but my lower body is stubborn and will not be as flexible:( I did lose, but not as drastically as my top did. I hope that will be the next site of improvement or I am going to look very disproportionate:(
 
 
NSV:
I wore heels for the first time in YEARS today! And I felt ( do I dare say ) so SEXY lol!!! I am of good spirit and faith. I am going to win this fight.

So had my sleeve done on 9/19/12 and the first day post surgery getting out of the recovery room was very hard, lots of pain on my neck, my mouth was very dry and my throat was hurting from the tube that was inserted, plus i think since i had a hiatal hernia and they did some work via my esophocus it felt worse :-(
 
Overall though i have to say it was all worth it, now just have to get used the sipping and drinking lots of water all the day to avoid getting dehydrated as per Dr. Nish.
 
 
8/31/12 i weight in at 239 at Dr. Nish's office
when i went in for surgery on Wed. 9/19/12 i was 228 lbs.
this morning 9/23/12 i was 223 lbs.
 
I'm very excited to go have gone through this, wished it would have been approved 10 yrs. prior. Very thankful with God family and friends, that everything went well.

So had my sleeve done on 9/19/12 and the first day post surgery getting out of the recovery room was very hard, lots of pain on my neck, my mouth was very dry and my throat was hurting from the tube that was inserted, plus i think since i had a hiatal hernia and they did some work via my esophocus it felt worse :-(
 
Overall though i have to say it was all worth it, now just have to get used the sipping and drinking lots of water all the day to avoid getting dehydrated as per Dr. Nish.
 
 
8/31/12 i weight in at 239 at Dr. Nish's office
when i went in for surgery on Wed. 9/19/12 i was 228 lbs.
this morning 9/23/12 i was 223 lbs.
 
I'm very excited to go have gone through this, wished it would have been approved 10 yrs. prior. Very thankful with God family and friends, that everything went well.

Wow, when they said I might have hair loss they weren't kidding! I just started my Bosley shampoo/conditioner/hair regrowth treatments and I hope that they kick in soon. Every time I shower I literally have hunks of hair falling out into my hands. Yuck! I'm not exactly happy about this, but I'm resigned that its happening and will continue to happen for awhile. On the other hand, I'm so DAMNED excited that I'm 9 itty bitty pounds away from ONEDERLAND! I haven't been this weight since college. I went shopping the other day and was able to find clothing in the regular section of the store. I about started to cry! Actually my friends had to keep pulling me away from the plus size clothes because I kept thinking that's where I needed to be. I actually where between a L and a XL in shirts and am a 14 in pants. Not bad since I started at almost a 3XL and a size 24! I look into the mirror and I think "I look pretty". It's been sooooo long since I thought that. I'm still flabbergasted about how much my life has changed in a little over 3 months. This is the BEST decision I've ever made. I'm hoping to lose a full 100 pounds by my sixth month surgiversary. That will put me at the weight I was my senior year of high school at 180. Then I just need to lose 40 more itty bitty pounds and will be at my doctor's suggested weight for my height and body build. I'm going on a rockin' vacation in February and hope to be, if not at my goal weight, to be within spitting distance of it.
 
Thank GOD I decided to do this. I don't regret a moment of the pain, crazy hormones, or stress that I've gone through over the last few months. Literally this has been the best decision EVER.
 
Now, if only my hair would stop falling out.....*amused*

Hello everyone!
 
I'm back on here!!!!!
 
I ran into a lot of trouble =/ .... As you know I started my whole program in Jan. 2012 then my third Dietitian appointment was in May ... A day before my 4th appointment the dietitian calls telling me my insurance is not going to pay her anymore!!! =O I was SOOO upset! So I called and went crazy on them letting them know they TOLD me It would ALL be covered!!!! I ended up getting a case worker and she set me up with a dietitian they pay for FINALLY!!!! I had my 4th dietitian appointment today!!!
 
I'm SO excited for surgery & should be having it .... maybe November? December?
 
QUESTION!!! : After you send your paperwork into the insurance company... how long will it take them to approve it????
 
I'd like to hear other peoples storiesss. Talk to meeee =]
I need more supporters!!

Well this is day 2 of my quest to not only not gain weight before surgery (or my doc will not schedule) but to also follow a low cal, low carb eating
plan. I have done really well so far today, just had a great scoop of chicken salad which I ate with slices of cucumber. I used the cucumber just as if
it were crackers....yum! Today seems easier than yesterday was.
I also went to my pcp today and I completed all required pre-op testing except for the ultrasound. Soonest appt is the end of the month but at least I will end Sept knowing everything is done and just waiting to be submitted for authorization.

So I was hungry at lunch time and had to run some errands so I went to my fave chinese lunch place to get an order to go. I ordered their chicken salad lunch which also comes with 3 potstickers. The salad is big so I usually end up eating only about 1/2 and saving the rest for dinner or the next day. The chicken is also shredded white meat so it's not breaded and fried and the dressing is really light. Overall it's not bad at all and heck - Lord knows I could do worse. So I order it to go and they put my order inside a container inside a bag tied up so that it doesn't spill.
 
Anyway - I get back to work and I open it and ta da... it is some oily stir fried noodle dish with beef. A huge container of it. I took about 3 bites (literally) and gave the rest to a co-worker. No potstickers either. Sigh. I took it as a sign not to deviate from my diet! Ha! On a positive note, I called the restaurant and they refunded my purchase (turned out they swapped my order with another customer). The downside is I have no lunch.
 
Maybe the GVS gods are trying to tell me something... STAY ON TRACK
 
For the first time, I feel antsy today. I feel so close, but still things left to do before I can schedule my surgery date. Next Monday I have my first NUT appt. and the following Monday I have my psych eval. I keep telling myself I did get the first available appt. when I called. And it was only 3 weeks later (now 2 weeks away) so things are still moving really fast. I will have done everything necessary start to finish within only 30 days. BUT - it's hard not to be anxious. I want this so badly. I hate hurry up and wait mode. 14 days until I can schedule my 2nd appt. with the surgeon to get my surgery date.

I have read so many posts and blogs about stalls. I promised myself not to panic when I got to that point. I have been stuck at 277.3lbs for a solid two weeks. I know it's not because I did something wrong, or because the sleeve is not working. After being on this site for so long, I know it is a natural/normal part of the journey. I stayed off the scale and kept my eating and exercise routine the same. But this morning I got on the scale. I gained ONE pound!! 278.4 The sight of the number took my breath away, and the taste of disappointment stayed with me all day. So I came home and took a picture so I could remind myself that I am doing ok. I needed to put my demons to sleep and realized this is all part of the journey. I am not failing. The sleeve is not failing. Life is beautiful and victory is mine

How long after surgery did you have your first alcoholic drink, and what was your reaction to it?

Today marks 7 weeks since I had my surgery. I did not weigh today because I have an appointment on Wednesday and will wait until then. I am still feeling great and have no complications to report.
 
The first thing I want to make note of is post-exercise restriction. I have noticed that after exercise, it seems as if the sleeve constricts, as it is hard to even get a decent amount a water down within the 45 minutes (or so) following exercise. My concern is that water is so important before, during and after exercise and this issue temporarily hinders my ability to get in fluids when I need it most.
 
I've noticed this over the past two weeks so I decided to wait until Wednesday to speak with my surgeon about it. In the meantime, the workaround that I use is to consume a sugar free Popsicle after working out simply for the sake of getting in some form of hydration until I can really drink water like I need to. I do not know why this happens to me but I can only guess that the muscle contractions that take place during and after exercise contribute to it. I do not do concentrated abdominal work but I do do work that use core muscles.
 
I'll use that to segue into my next topic. I do not have a gym membership. I'm a very busy person and I hate traffic so at the end of the work day, I know that I will not go. I also refuse to wake up before the sun shines through my windows to work out so the gym is not an option for me. What has helped me more than anything is body weight exercises (squats, lunges, push-ups, etc), running and HIIT training. I also like using DVD's.
 
For those of you who are like me (gym-avoidant), I thought I'd give a list of the DVD's I am currently using and that I like. They are:
 
Lean Hot Body (Patrick Goudeau)- about an hour long and combines cardio and strength
Peak 10 Cardio Strength (Michelle Dozois)- similar to Lean Hot Body but has levels that build into higher intensities
Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn (Michelle Dozois)- pure cardio
Cross Fire (Cathe Friedrich)- HIIT that also uses weights
Chiseled (Toby Massenburg)- strength training combined with high intensity cardio that involves a step bench
 
I don't do these everyday. I like to mix it up, lest I get bored. However, I would highly recommend these videos because they are straightforward and non-cheesy.
The next development is my use of almond milk. Let me just say that the transition to skim milk was very hard for me. I just don't believe in see-through milk. Further, the carb count of skim milk is not something that I am willing to acquiesce to at this point. This weekend, I started to miss my cappuccino so I had to try to come up with something that would do. At Whole Foods, I found some espresso and as I perused the diary section and could not find the low-carb milk I was used to so I took a chance and picked up some almond milk.
 
I purchased the unsweetened vanilla variety that only has 40 calories for 8oz. and 2 grams of carbohydrates. Both of these figures have skim milk beat. I made a cappuccino with this milk and I must say, it was quite satisfactory. Almond milk smells wonderful and it's not see-through either. If you are lactose intolerant, this may be a viable option for you. I also used this milk when I made myself a hot chocolate using Ghirardelli's unsweetened cocoa powder (15 calories and 3 grams of carbs per serving). I know we are always told not to drink calories but the 55 calories in that cup of hot chocolate was so worth it.
 
For the potato chip lovers, I also discovered that Whole Foods sells "chips" made only out of parmesan cheese. They come in 1 serving containers in the hot soup area. They are crispy like chips but only made out of parmesan cheese (I guess they bake them because they aren't oily). They are delicious and I ate them with my soup. Although they are only 1oz. servings, it took me a couple of days to eat them all.
 
Anyway, that's all for now. Happy losing!

I am still very swollen so I was hesitant to get on the scale, but I couldn't resist the temptation and I have lost 10lbs since Tuesday. I couldn't stop smiling. That is just so amazing to me. I can't wait until I'm able to start working out and building muscle and working on toning as I go. This is just such a blessing!

Hello sleevers
So at the beginning of the week, things got pretty rough. The first four days of my pre-op diet were beyond horrible. As so many of you commented, it was probably the Carb flu - detoxing is never a pleasant process. Many warned me before-hand, but I truly had no idea how bloody awful it was going to be. For those of you reading this and are just about to start, if I had some advice it would be:
Be prepared - for how regularly you will need to eat, for how your tolerances for behaviours changes, how smells really effect you and how crappy you will feel.
Be kind to yourself - I work long hours, am on call and had no support (work wise) planned. If I'd known what I was in for, I would have made adjustments to my work schedule, to have someone relieve me over this period.
Keep your friends/family close - their support is vital but also watch that they don't inadvertently make things harder from their concern.
Take things one day at a time - try not to get too focused on how much longer you have to go, just try to get through today.
Go with it - I've had some pretty significant mood shifts this week, as the toxins were being expelled from my system, so just go with it. Apologise when you need to and do your very best to remind yourself of why you are doing this. I found the first few days, I almost didn't care anymore but that too passes
So where am I at now? I am feeling pretty good - I got through my son's 7th birthday party without even licking the icing off my fingers lol. I am able to focus on what I will achieve from this surgery again and to feel the anticipation and excitement for my new life. I won't lie - I am glad I only have a week to go on this but I anticipate that the next week will go so very fast that I will have a much easier time of it this week.
Pre-op diet, you are my Everest
Hope you all are going well! The count-down has begun!!
Cheers, Lila