funinthesun00

I post this in my blog, but I've gotten so much personal feedback about my journey from these pictures, I'd thought I'd share it on here as well.
Thursday is actually my 5 month Surgiversary- but this past weekend I attended a friends birthday party and they took a lot of candid shots of me, I compared them to some candids from last summer. Pretty amazing difference at this point and I"m not even at my official optimal goal yet. I am the brunette in the top pictures wearing the orange/reddish dress.
Height: 5'9
Highest (Surgery) Weight: 216
1st Primary Goal Weight: 169 (Achieved 11/27)
2nd Optimal Goal Weight: 145
Sleeve Journey:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 8/17/12- PreOp/Surgery Day w/Pics Posted in Blog
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 (-22.5 lbs)
Week 5 (9/21): 191.6 (-1.9)
Week 6 (9/28): 190.1 (-1.5)
Week 7 (10/5): 187.0 (-3.1)
Week 8 (10/12): 181.9 (-5.1)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 10/17/12- 2 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-11.6 lbs)
Week 9 (10/19): 181.4 (-.5)
Week 10 (10/26): 177.9 (-3.5)
Week 11 (11/02): 176.8 (-1.1)
Week 12 (11/09): 174.7 (-2.1)
Week 13 (11/16): 173.3 (-1.4)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 11/17/12- 3 Month Anniversary w/Pics Posted in Blog (-8.6 lbs)
Week 14 (11/23): 173.1 (-.2)
Week 15 (11/30): 167.3 (-5.8)
Week 16 (12/7): 168.1 (+.8)
Week 17 (12/14): 164.6 (-3.5)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 12/17/12- 4 Month Anniversary (-8.7 lbs)
Week 18 (12/21): Holiday Break/Vacation- No scale Available
Week 19 (12/28): Holiday Break/Vacation- No scale Available
Week 20 (1/4/13): 164.5 (-.1)
Week 21 (1/11): 161.5 (-3.0)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> 01/17/13- 5 Month Anniversary (-3.1 lbs)

Had my sleeve done this morning in Long Island with Dr Shawn Garber. Nothing short of an excelent experience with Mercy Medical Center. I am laying in my bed with minima pain, rather just soarness and looking forward to trying my food intake tomorrow. So far so good. Good luck to all pre sleevers.

I'm 15 months post op and I can certainly eat a lot more than before. I am going to start exercising today also. Going to the park in a while. I know that I have slipped away from the site more often now. I know that I can graze a lot and I can really eat those darn fudge that's loaded with sugar.
I know this is a life long change for me so I've been investing some time with NUT and Dietician's and attending a class on diabetes. I do feel like the odd man out at these classes. Everyone in there are struggling with their weight and blood sugar taking lots of medications to treat their diabetes. Introduced myself and the RN leading the class made a big deal of my progress and stuff and not one of the 20 people asked any questions. I have 3 more of those classes, next week it's the dietician. I love all the info I get. Hopefully this will help me get control of my head hunger. LOL
You have done very well. I've always followed your post.... So keep it up, you motivate me.....

I am not second guessing my decision, but I am dreaming out and very worried about complications-- like internal bleeding. Surgery is Friday.

Sitting here in the hospital waiting for my IV i cant believe this day is actually here...

Don't be afraid it will be great enjoy the trip to the south enjoy the sun. Be happy the change is almost there for you.
Just sit back and go with the ride.

Thank you guys so much. I think it is just the fear of not having post op documentation for 10 + years. I'm so excited & I love having the support of you guys to answer my questions. I hope all is well with everyone.

I know there are many of you who wonder "is this the right thing for me?" Some of you are a little scared (as I was), some of you wonder "will this work for me?" or "can I do this?". I'm here to tell you, don't be scared...it will work (if you follow the rules!!!) and YES, you can do this!!! The sleeve has been a wonderful tool. Without it I know I would have never lost the weight and I would probably be heavier than I was back then. I know I would be in worse health, more depressed and still hiding at home instead of enjoying my life. I may be one of the "lucky ones" who really hasn't had any problems, I don't get hungry, and I have only continued to improve my quality of life. I still sometimes wonder..."When will this be over... like so many times before when I have lost weight and gained it back", when I find myself thinking this I immediately remind myself that NEVER again, thanks to my sleeve, will I go back to that dark place!!! I have attached my before and after pictures, looking at before and afters always helped me when I was trying to decide "to sleeve or not to sleeve".

Hello! I was sleeved the 9th and came home yesterday and yes it feels so good to begone. My pain is now controlled by extra strength Tylenol. Here is some stuff that may help you guys who have not gone in yet. Things do taste different after surgery to me. Water tastes good to me but Atkins advantage shakes I loved before surgery are awful tasting now. Carnation instant Breakfast is good now. I bought beef bouillon Soup mix from Drs best weight loss and it is delicious very beefy and salty and really good. I bought cappuccinos from them also but all the beverages taste very strong I have to water them down.
When people said they can't get their liquids in I thought it was just swallowing enough but I have had NO hunger since surgery so even Cappuccino and Jello eat isn't easy to get down because I'm not hungry. It's like having no want for any more. I'm still coughing up heavy green junk from my chest. You have to move around soon after surgery and blow into a tube 5 times an hour to keep your lungs able to fill up and keep pneumonia out. I was shocked how much junk I had in my chest after surgery. I slept in a recliner too because of the air trapped in my shoulder it doesn't hurt when I'm in a sitting up position. Anyway it is just a little info that may help someone.

Hi all. Just checking in. I was sleeved on the 8th and home on the 10th. So far I feel pretty good. It's nice to be home.

Proudgranny, you are the best!! You always jump in and swaddle the downhearted with common sense, love and an optimistic but realistic point of view. We're blessed to have you!

I had surgery two years ago with Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, Mexico. I wrote down everything that went in my mouth for a year. I kept my calories between 600-800, usually toward the lower end, until I reached goal. I also kept my carbs under 50 gms/daily. I reached my goal of 150 lbs on Nov. 18, 2011, ten months after surgery. I had thought that because I was 56, with hypothyroidism and MS, that I might lose more slowly but I was happy at the rate it came off. I swam a couple of times a week and ran a little bit but I was by no means a fitness fanatic--I wanted to be strong and healthy rather than ripped. I lost lots of hair from months 3-9 but it has all grown back now. I am 5'8" and weigh 136 lbs as of this morning and wear a size 6.
The difference between before surgery and now is like a miracle. I used to think about food all the time--thinking about what to eat for Breakfast as I was going to bed the night before! Now I have to remind myself to take something out of the freezer for dinner. I gave up pretty much all processed food--initially because I couldn't eat a whole Lean Cuisine and later because it was just easier to make a turkey burger or some shrimp to make sure I got all my Protein in. I still eat Protein first, but I also have wine occasionally, and cake, and candy, but they are treats and not something I have to have every day. I drink coffee daily, though, I couldn't give that up! I do not eat until I am full. I stopped making my portions larger in month 8 and now eat the same amount as I did then--3 oz lean meat, fish, or poultry and 1/3 cup green, red, or orange veg.
I take my multi-vit and Calcium citrate every day, B-12 twice a week, and my labs are stellar other than a little deficiency in my Iron stores due to the fact that I gave blood twice in the months right after surgery. My doc says I can't get enough Iron from food to give any away. I am a little sad about that because I used to be a regular donor.
My face looked really bad, with sagging jowls and cheeks, so I had a facelift a year ago. Yesterday, someone said I looked 35. I think he needed glasses, but I do look better that I did before the lift. I look great in clothes but naked my stomach has some sagging. my butt is flat, and my inner thighs are so wrinkly. I can live with them for now, I'm doing squats to try and firm up my glutes.
My cholesterol and blood pressure have come down and I feel fantastic. I can't tell you how freeing it is not to think about food all the time. If you are on the fence about this surgery, know that it worked for me and really, maintenance for me has been about keeping the good habits I made while losing.
Good Luck!

I am a 37 year old female on four blood pressure pills. My blood pressure is still high! I pray this is the answer to my prayers. It is so hard to exercise and feel good when medication makes you feel worse. This is my first post. I will go to Dr. Alvarez in Mexico.

So....First round of March Madness is Thurs March 21-24, so naturally I scheduled my surgery on the 19th so I can watch all 48 first round games while I adjust/recuperate! Yeah buddy!
I figured the Man Room would be the place to post this beca use only a man would be crazy enough to schedule sleeve around sports!

What Exactly Is A Stall?
The last time I was on Weight Watchers (June 2011 through February 2012), I lost an average of .9lbs every week and I followed the program religiously.
Forum members report first month losses of 20, 30, and even 40 pounds and then refer to a two- to three-day hiatus as a stall?! I don't get that.
The body morphology has to catch up with the tremendous weight loss. That necessary phenomenon isn't a stall. A "stall" is what I experienced during my last month on Weight Watchers: no movement at all in close to 30 days.
A massive weight loss of 20, 30, and 40lbs in one month cannot reasonably be referred to as a stall.
I am only 29-days post-op but what I see is a two- to three-day "body adjustment (or catch-up) period" followed by another one- to two-pound drop on the scale. This is normal. You can't expect to see the scale drop every single day for an extended period of time. No one loses weight like that, not even malnourished cancer patients in the end stages of their disease.
What I've noticed is that during this "body adjustment period," I will not lose pounds but mass. My stomach will tighten a bit more and areas that used to have fat will have less (or no) fat.
On many other forums, they have a list of definitions of commonly used terms that members can refer to. Maybe we can agree that a "stall" means no movement on the scale for a minimum of seven days when weight loss was reasonably expected. Obviously, if I am consuming 3,000 calories a day, I can't reasonably refer to my failure to lose weight as a stall because I shouldn't expect to lose any weight.
The point of this post is not to be picayune (nor is this directed at anyone in particular) but to alert forum members to the fact that, when it comes to weight loss, mindset is everything. If you expect to see the scale drop every single day for weeks and weeks on end, you are unnecessarily setting yourself up for frustration, disappointment, and resentment.
I have lost 23lbs in 29 days: that's just over 1/3 of my excess weight in less than one month. The scale doesn't move every day nor do I expect it do. If I had experienced even 25 percent of this kind of weight loss on Weight Watchers, I NEVER would have signed up for the surgery.
Do you know how long it took me to lose 23 pounds on Weight Watchers? It took 26 very difficult weeks or half-a-year! This surgery has expedited my weight loss by a factor of 83 percent!
Should I be bummed-out, depressed, and resentful because my scale remains still for as many as three continuous days at a time? Should I refer to that three-day hiatus as a stall? Of course not.
Knowing what to expect and having reasonable goals are critically important to maintaining a healthy and positive mindset.

My rant, my opinion, right? Before you get started on how unsupportive and not nice I am, and how I should just dodge the posts I don't want to read, I'll kindly tell you to educate yourself on how I typically post and on my contributions to VST. (That's my nice way of saying I don't care what you think and that you shouldn't waste my time or yours telling me how mean I am.)
Because I cannot possibly be the only person so incredibly sick of these posts! Anyone else tired of the whining? I don't mind an occasional vent, but the outright whiny, childish and incredibly annoying posts just make me thankful I'm on VST (and on the other side of the computer) and not in an in-person support group. Because, really, people, this is getting stupid. I am not talking about actual complications or asking a valid question, either. I'm talking about the same cycle of wah-wah-wah about simple things that should have come up with only a few attempts at research.
Let's address a few of these annoyances that keep cropping up:
1) Oh my gosh, it's a travesty but guess what? You are NOT going to lose the weight faster than you put it on. I know - it's heartbreaking. I mean, surgery is supposed to be magical, isn't it? I, for one, got a free unicorn AND a leprechaun with my surgery. I get that you don't want to work at this. Really, I mean, taking advantage of a fraction of the stomach capacity and learning how to eat wisely so you can develop a healthy relationship with food and gosh, to live the rest of your ENTIRE LIFE not obese, not overeating and to have a chance to ditch the bad habits and emotional baggage...that's just way too much to wait for. You should probably just be angry at the world and vent on a public forum about how the surgery has ruined your life because you've only lost 20 pounds in three weeks. I mean, really! Those are some completely shoddy results, if you ask me. Because really, who thinks that a one to two year period of focusing on weight loss to lose the weight for good (especially after fifteen years or more of trying to lose the weight on various failed diets) is worth the time or effort?
2) Surgery hurts. I know, I know. You probably didn't realize that having anesthesia and being flopped around, pumped full of gas, sliced open, having an organ removed, having staples and stitches put in and having drains in your body would actually hurt. But it does, imagine that! I know, in most cases it lasts five to ten days before you're feeling better, but surely your world is ending, your pain is the worst ever and you definitely need to post about it here so we can all give you pats on the head and you can scare the people researching the sleeve away. Be thankful you're not one of the people with a REAL complication causing ACTUAL serious pain. Or maybe you are. We can't tell or guide people to their doctors because there are just so many suffering people posting that it's a challenge to weed out the ones with real issues and the ones who forgot to take their pain pills. I know, we all handle pain differently. But really, a teeny bit of research would help with expectations, wouldn't it? And let's not forget how tired you are post op. Who knew that eating less than 300 calories a day after major surgery and having to really work at staying hydrated would wear you out and make you tired? Ugh, it's completely unreasonable!
3) It's hard to eat when you only have 15% of your stomach. Who knew? I mean, sure, that's why we had surgery, but I know you figured you'd just have a smaller stomach made of cast Iron that could easily tolerate at least half a bacon cheeseburger within a week of your operation. All that sipping (of warm or room temp liquids!), all of that discomfort when you try to shovel in a cup of oatmeal in week three, the challenge of finding Protein you can eat easily, the challenge of finding a shake you actually like - I mean, who knew that was going to be part of the game? Oh wait, what do you mean everyone that actually researched their surgery knew about this stuff? Well, never mind that. Post about it so we can all hear how different and more difficult it is for you, because I'm sure it was a walk in the park for everyone else.
4) I'm sure your heartburn and acid reflux are terribly uncomfortable. It is for all of us. I'm sure the gurgling and healing stomach sounds are annoying and hard to get used to. They were for the rest of us, too. Which is why you should be on a PPI. If you did even a cursory bit of research on the sleeve, I am certain the fact that acid is an issue post op for almost everyone came up. So if you aren't on a PPI (think Prilosec or Nexium - Tums and Pepcid aren't PPIs) you should probably be on one. Even if your surgeon didn't suggest one. And if he/she didn't prescribe one or suggest one, I'd question that surgeon, because this is a known issue post op for nearly every patient. But it's your body and your suffering, so hey, why not be a tiny bit proactive and ASK FOR ONE if one isn't offered? While we're here, you should have done enough research to realize you'd need sublingual B-12, an Iron supplement and Calcium citrate as well as a multi until your doctor does bloodwork and tells you your levels are fine without supplements. I know, it's HARD to take all those pills...it's so annoying, too. But if you don't take them you'll be tired and sluggish and forgetful and won't feel up to par. But you knew that from all your research, I'm sure.
5) I doubt you're starving. Very, very few people do not lose the hunger post op. I have seen a few that struggled with this but they are few and far between. I know, you probably didn't do enough research to realize that you still have ghrelin in your system for a few days post op, or to find that acid gurgling in your belly feels exactly the same way as a rumbling tummy. You probably thought you'd be immune to head hunger, because you thought obesity was only caused by eating too much, not by any type of emotional attachment to food. You probably didn't realize that two or three (or more) weeks on a liquid diet would be challenging, mentally, even if you don't really want food. I know, I know, we already covered that surgery is supposed to be magical and you wanted it to control your feelings about food and your desire to eat for the rest of your life.
6) Diets don't work. Isn't that why you finally opted for surgery? Then why do you insist on treating the way you eat post op like a diet? Why do you insist on carb counting yourself into misery and allowing yourself only enough calories to sustain a ten pound cat instead of an adult human? Why are you surprised, after years of failed dieting, that the desire to binge and graze and eat emotionally show up when you restrict yourself the way you've always done on past diets? Why do you insist on eliminating entire food groups for fear of gaining weight, only to post at one or two years post op that you can't understand why maintenance is so hard and you can't stop eating junk? Oh, that's right, you thought the sleeve was part B of your diet and treated it that way...and got the same success you got from all those diets you did prior to surgery as a result.
7) It's hard to break bad habits and be healthy. We've covered this! Surgery is supposed to be magical - and therefore any emotional eating problems, baggage from your childhood, poor eating habits you're reinforced for years, etc. should just be magically erased when the surgeon slices out 85% of your stomach. I know, you don't understand why this is so hard! I know, you're so frustrated and you regret your surgery because you want to eat and you can't. Why won't your sleeve stop you from eating those Cookies or that big bowl of ice cream? This is completely unfair. I suggest you post about how the surgery is a waste of time and/or money because it didn't do the head work for you, cause this isn't supposed to be hard. It's magic.
8) Some people lose hair and get loose skin? AH, say it isn't so! If losing the weight and being healthy isn't worth a temporary trade off, surgery isn't for you. I know you already have diabetes, high blood pressure and are slowly killing yourself with your obesity, but you have an irrational fear of loose skin and thinning hair and aren't sure if this surgery is for you. I get that. After all, I'd rather die slowly with beautiful hair than compromise my vanity for a few months and extend my life in the process. I mean, really, we have to have our priorities! So please, as soon as you notice some hair falling out, please panic and post about it and ask if anyone else has experienced it. I'm sure you're the very first person it's ever happened to before and you should frantically warn everyone and work yourself into a frenzy envisioning your bald dome if it continues.
9) If you post stupid, tiresome, uneducated or ridiculous things to strangers on the internet, sometimes you get snarky, short or even blunt and (borderline) rude answers. I know, I know. You live in a world where everyone sings kumbaya together with genuine feeling before they start their day on the communal farm. Well, lots of us don't live there or have an infinite amount of patience and tolerance for those that think we should all be the same. I might answer one way and many other someones will answer another way and between all of us, hopefully there will be enough of an answer that anyone with the same question (but who doesn't necessarily have the same expectation on how it will be answered) can put together a solution. And then, in a perfect world, they wouldn't post the same question two threads down less than 24 hours later.
I love VST. I love that I found this site and researched my surgery for ONE WHOLE YEAR before opting to slice out my stomach. I love that it is full of resources, full of true experiences, full of warnings, full of advice for those that bother to search it out. Even four year old threads can still be relevant today! I love being able to come back here and "give back" in a way, by helping people with genuine questions and genuine concerns. I want to cheer other people on their journey and I want to help people approach this surgery in a sane way that will help them not just lose the weight but keep it off forever.
But for goodness' sake I simply have to acknowledge that I am only human and only have a limited amount of GAF when it comes to some of these posts and lately, some of these members.
It shouldn't be exhausting and aggravating to be here! I've been around the military too long, I think - I'm about a step away from yelling at some of these jokers like they need, instead of being diplomatic and polite.
My vent, my opinion, remember? Remember: you can always just skip over my post and not respond if it really bothers you!
~Cheri

The side view is the one that got to me the worst too. I was under the impression that my boobs were bigger than my stomach. After looking at that awful picture, I now know that is not the case. :-(
You are right. These pics are very motivating. Still I am in disbelief that the lady the pic is me. Ugh.

I thought this was an interesting article. I hope the link works.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/health/biological-changes-thwart-weight-loss-efforts-study-finds.html?_r=1&

I thought this was an interesting article. I hope the link works.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/health/biological-changes-thwart-weight-loss-efforts-study-finds.html?_r=1&

I have lost about 75 pounds. I feel great. Went on a cruise over Christmas and even won the hairy chest contest! I would never have even entered 5 months ago....
this is me 4 months before surgery. I was about 5-10 pounds heavier at surgery......(265-270)
this is me on the cruise just 2 weeks ago.....
I am very pleased.....

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!!!

Well I'm sleeved! I spent yesterday exhausted from not sleeping the night before and morphine. It isn't too bad but I've had bad nausea and that is difficult. There is pressure on your chest/ stomach but little pain. Gas pains for me aren't too bad. Overall it went great! I can't believe ithe wait is over! Well I'm going back to sleep!

I am 5'2" and 182 right now. That puts me at a 33 bmi. I have recently lost 24 lbs, which was a real struggle for me to lose. So, at my highest weight my bmi was over 37.5 which is severely obese. I have struggled with my weight for over 20 years. I have been able to lose, but never to my "goal" weight and I have NEVER been able to maintain that weight for even 3 months. When I regain the weight, an extra 5-10 lbs seems to come along with the old weight. Even though I have really made serious efforts, my weight has averaged in the 190s over the past 5 years. Again, for my height, this is obese/severly obese. Also, I am a very actice person and I do really watch what I eat, which makes me feel like this battle is a losing one for me without the surgery.
Also, I am getting older and I have noticed that it is harder to lose the older I get. Additionally, my family history isn't good. My dad passed away at the age of 69 and he yo yo dieted his adult life as well. I want to be around for my kids and grandkids.
60 lbs. is a ton of weight for us shorties. Those are just some of the reasons that I am having this surgery. I wish people would focus on bmi and not weight.
One more thing. This was a big one for me. I did a lot of research not just on this surgery, but on obesity in general. I wanted to make sure that I was doing everything possible to get healthy on my own. One of the things that I found so discouraging (that I also knew to be true from my own many experiences) is that 95% of people who lose weight regain within 2 years. After 5 years that number goes up to 98%.
I would like to ask all of the people who it bothers that "low bmi" people have this surgery, to ask themselves if they want to stop their weight loss journey when they hit a 33 bmi. My guess is that 99% of people will want to lose more weight and wouldn't be happy if that is all the weight they lost. I hope helps you understand my choice.

You have the potential to do it without the surgery. What the sleeve gives you is a permanent reminder. Reminders can be defeated.
You will need a will of steel. You are not dieting, you must undergo a metamorphosis. Your will and mind must take control and channel your emotions and rule your body. Determine how you want to be for the rest of your life, fight with everything you have in you to attain it, guard it like a pit bull after you're there. Be ruthless, no mercy on bad nutrition and overeating. Marry yourself to exercise, commit your mind and heart, learn to love it, become an athlete. Keep your eyes on the finish line and fight relentlessly moment by moment to get there.
You have to hate obesity and love yourself. Hate is a great motivator, so is love, use both. Think of all the crap you have been through because of being overweight. Take the insults, feelings of inferiority, struggles with clothing, lack of energy, depression, social problems, etc. and channel your anger into action. Be your own best friend and help yourself as you would your dearest friend who is in a battle.
You can win this war!