Holly5.3

Any other October sleevers experiencing a slower weight loss this past month? From Oct to Jan my average loss was 10-13 lbs. From Jan to Feb only 5 pounds, but my clothes have suddenly gotten bigger, and people are really noticing the loss, so I'm still feeling good. But I've decided to weigh myself only once a month (surgery date-the 11th) so if lose 5 pounds I can accept it in one painful weigh-in, instead of torturing myself when the scale is finicky -see-sawing up and down 2-3 pounds.

Yea! Shrinking chef (love your moniker!) keep it up girl! There are good and bad days but the weight does seem to melt off, so what could be bad about that? Keep up the good work, we're rooting for you!

I'm just like you Deltagirl! Some days I could eat all day, others a few bites of this and yogurt and I'm good! Carbs are the devil, tho! I'm struggling because meats and veggies must be chewed til vaporized, yet a cookie or something else made of sugar and flour goes down just fine! that's why I got to be close to 300 pounds-I love cake and cookies! I try to only purchase low fat/high Fiber treats (like Fiber 1 brownies) so I get my fix without over doing it. But like you said, one day the brownie hits the spot, the next day I want to eat 3 (but don't!). Every day is a new challenge but as long as the results, however slow they may be, do happen-it's all good! 

My stats are similar to yours, so maybe this would help. DOS weight 255, size 22/24 dress. By 2/11, my 4 month anniversary, I was down to 199 (-56 lbs.) and wearing a size 14/16 dress. I am not too busty, so I would def. take that into consideration, as far as ordering the 16/18 goes. I guess you should be safer with the 16/18, then have it altered. It will depend on how much you take off. I would think you have a terrific incentive to really lose during the "honeymoon"! Good luck! Post a photo so we can see how gorgeous you looked!

My heart goes out to you! Please know that when you feel the beauty of your outerself emerge, your inner beauty that was always there - comes through even stronger....this in and of itself will give you the strength to say no when you know you should because you deserve so much more! You will have your dreams come true. God is good and He loves you - we do too!

I love the marbles/rocks ideas! I did something quick and not fancy but it helps to inspire me. Day of surgery I took string and measured around my stomach. I check out how much smaller I am with my 'belly string' every month. I plan on making a beaded necklace the same length when I'm near goal (it's long so it's going to take a lot of beads-expensive!) I'll probably wear it wrapped around my neck twice. Then I'll slip it around my waist to show anyone who asks how big I was-"out to here!" excited!!

Hey there! I'm a 10/11/12 sleever and down a total of 79 pounds since highest (56 post-op) and made it to "one-derland" today! Soooo happy! Time to go down a jean size (finally! From size 18 to 16 took a huge weight loss to do it! Strange how some sizes go fast and others take a larger loss to get to. I guess that's why loss of inches is sometimes more important than the numbers on the scale.)

I still rely on at least one shake for Breakfast and I have a Greek yogurt with fruit daily. I can eat so little solid foods still so I have Soup or chicken chili for lunch and dinner is whatever I make my family but a tiny amount (1/4-1/3 cup-protein then veggies then a bite of carb-pasta or potato). If I dont have an appetite or care to eat what family is having, I'll just have cottage cheese with fruit. I bought snack crackers and a caramel chocolate bar that have Protein for Snacks, on line. I also add unflavored Protein Powder to my crystal light (only 1/2 scoop-10 gs. Protein) when I feel my protein is too low for a couple of days. I have a Sugar Free Chocolate Jello or applesauce and a 100 cal. Pkg. of Graham crackers as my last snack. (I have dinner early, 4:30-ish, it helps stop the 3 am rumbling my tummy likes to wake me up with!) as of today I'm in one-derland finally! Total loss since Aug. 80 pounds (56 since surgery)! I'm hoping to lose 100 by this August! I would have never dreamed I could do this!

Hey there! I'm a 10/11/12 sleever and down a total of 79 pounds since highest (56 post-op) and made it to "one-derland" today! Soooo happy! Time to go down a jean size (finally! From size 18 to 16 took a huge weight loss to do it! Strange how some sizes go fast and others take a larger loss to get to. I guess that's why loss of inches is sometimes more important than the numbers on the scale.)

Hi October 2012 Sleevers! I was wondering how everyone is doing - we made it through the Holiday Season (it was a long one, Halloween through New Years' - we had it pretty rough!). Post your stats with an average monthly loss so we can give newbies an idea of what's possible! Happy New Year, guys and gals! Good luck making it to your next mini or final goal!
DOS (10/11/12) - 255
Today (1/2/13) - 209
Total Loss: 46 lbs. / Monthly average: - 15.3 lbs./month

Hi there! I'm a young 53, sleeved Oct 11, 2012, and have gone from size 24 (278 lbs. Last August) and I am now 200 lbs, size 16. People say I look 20 years younger! Mind you they can't see under my clothes, the flabbedity, sagetty skin, but with my Spanx on and a good bra, the image looks pretty good. Naked is a whole different thing-but my husband's not complaining, believe me! I've hit my first stall, other than that and a little Constipation early on, it's been great! Looking forward to life instead of just looking forward to food! Good luck!

Hi there! I'm a young 53, sleeved Oct 11, 2012, and have gone from size 24 (278 lbs. Last August) and I am now 200 lbs, size 16. People say I look 20 years younger! Mind you they can't see under my clothes, the flabbedity, sagetty skin, but with my Spanx on and a good bra, the image looks pretty good. Naked is a whole different thing-but my husband's not complaining, believe me! I've hit my first stall, other than that and a little Constipation early on, it's been great! Looking forward to life instead of just looking forward to food! Good luck!

Funny how we are all so different! At my Pre-op I said to my surgeon, "Make my sleeve a tiny, gourmet banana - no plantains for me!!" of course he laughed, but I was serious! I appreciate that the sleeve will stretch eventually to accommodate what we take in-but for me, this is the LAST time I'll see the numbers on the scale that I now see FOREVER! This journey is far from easy, and I really just started, but I visualize me at my permanent small size and I'll do what it takes to get there and STAY there for the rest of my life! food is food. It's not love and it's not life! Good luck!

I thought I'ld start a thread asking for recipes for the puree stage that you couldn't have survived without. I started this stage yesterday and spent a good hour scrolling thru posts offering ideas before I went grocery shopping. I thank God for someone suggesting Hormel Chilis. They had turkey, beef and one can left of chicken and white bean. Had the chicken just now-heated about 2/3 cup in microwave. Put in Magic Bullet to puree. It looked weird but boy was it tasty! First thing I've eaten in about 5 weeks that satisfied my taste buds! I could only eat about 1/4 cup, so next time I know to heat up only 1/4 cup at a time until I can get more down.
For dinner, I'm making a ricotta cheese casserole, also an old recipe I found, so I can have Italian as everyone eats pizza after trick-or-treating!

Does anyone remember Star Jones? Instead of bravely being a champion for WLS, she made it seem more shameful! In fact, I was thinking Kelly Osborne might have had surgery, too. Once a celebrity who is respected comes out of the closet about WLS, people won't feel ashamed and maybe the public will become more informed and less judgmental!

I love the marbles/rocks ideas! I did something quick and not fancy but it helps to inspire me. Day of surgery I took string and measured around my stomach. I check out how much smaller I am with my 'belly string' every month. I plan on making a beaded necklace the same length when I'm near goal (it's long so it's going to take a lot of beads-expensive!) I'll probably wear it wrapped around my neck twice. Then I'll slip it around my waist to show anyone who asks how big I was-"out to here!" excited!!

Try to get at least 600 calories for the above reason; you may have enough body "fat" to function, but you still need calories as well. I found in the beginning of I was running to short, I'ld just sip on a glass of skim milk at the end of the day or make another shake if I could stand the thought of it! It is important to get the minimum of calories in so that you have some energy to get through your day- you'll still lose! Just be sure to get Vitamins, Protein and fluids in each day to avoid any complications. On Feb. 11th I had my 4 month surger-versary and can tell you that some days I can eat more than 600 calories and on others, if I'm busy and not focusing on my meals, I'll eat a lot less. The hunger isn't there (at least not half as strong as it was pre-op) so the preoccupation with food lessons more and more. Feeling healthy, for me, is just as important as the scale moving lower and my clothes getting looser! So be sure to give your body all the fuel it needs to do what it needs to do; lose the extra weight and make you a healthier you! Good luck!

Hey there! I'm a 10/11/12 sleever and down a total of 79 pounds since highest (56 post-op) and made it to "one-derland" today! Soooo happy! Time to go down a jean size (finally! From size 18 to 16 took a huge weight loss to do it! Strange how some sizes go fast and others take a larger loss to get to. I guess that's why loss of inches is sometimes more important than the numbers on the scale.)

Hey there! I'm a 10/11/12 sleever and down a total of 79 pounds since highest (56 post-op) and made it to "one-derland" today! Soooo happy! Time to go down a jean size (finally! From size 18 to 16 took a huge weight loss to do it! Strange how some sizes go fast and others take a larger loss to get to. I guess that's why loss of inches is sometimes more important than the numbers on the scale.)

Hey there! I'm a 10/11/12 sleever and down a total of 79 pounds since highest (56 post-op) and made it to "one-derland" today! Soooo happy! Time to go down a jean size (finally! From size 18 to 16 took a huge weight loss to do it! Strange how some sizes go fast and others take a larger loss to get to. I guess that's why loss of inches is sometimes more important than the numbers on the scale.)

Golden girl you rock! Love, love, love your story and advice! You certainly are a poster girl for the sleeve's success after only one year! you look fantastic! I'm going to try a zumba DVD - I like the way it is making you feel sexy-walking is good-but I hardly feel sexy or limber after a walk! 

I love the marbles/rocks ideas! I did something quick and not fancy but it helps to inspire me. Day of surgery I took string and measured around my stomach. I check out how much smaller I am with my 'belly string' every month. I plan on making a beaded necklace the same length when I'm near goal (it's long so it's going to take a lot of beads-expensive!) I'll probably wear it wrapped around my neck twice. Then I'll slip it around my waist to show anyone who asks how big I was-"out to here!" excited!!

I lost all my weight and then some so the "norm" is not always the case. I followed the rules to get to goal quickly and wanted to worry about maintenance when I got there. I've been easily maintaining my current for over 6 months with the sleeve.

I lost all m weight. If you stick to Protein first and a little veggies when you have room, you can't help but lose.
Try not to worry. Of course if you cheat and eat candy which goes down very easily. that will change everything.
You can do it if you are dedicated to following the rules and adding some exercise in.

How are all our Octo and November sleevers doing today? I hope everyone is healing nicely. You are all in my prayers for speedy recovery!