Momonanomo

I definitely would call the manager. It is completely out of line for her to comment and judge. Completely inappropriate, regardless of what book is being purchased.

Absolutely, definitely I am glad I got the sleeve. It was EXACTLY what I needed. I have not had complications, I did not have hair loss. The body dysmorphia people may get is due to rapid weight losss, not due specifically to the sleeve.... It is good that you are thoroughly researching. Everyone has a different experience. It is indeed a major surgery and therefore, unfortunately, there are risks. It is up to you, personally, to evaluate - for you - whether the risks are worth the benefits. For me it was.

You know what though? You really should do what YOUR surgeon says is ok, not what a message board full of sleevers says. We've all had different experiences, and different surgeons. Your surgeon is the one performing the surgery on you, not us. So I say check with your surgeon.

Hmmmm....I've heard it can cure acid reflux, or it can make it worse, or it can cause acid reflux when you never had it before (that was the case with me) OR some people remain blissfully acid reflux free. It's all over the map. My surgeon said it may or may not get better over time. I just have a mild case so I take OTC meds for it when needed. It may be that you need to switch to a different medicine; there are different types out there I believe (PPI, H2 blockers) and maybe just like with allergy medicines one will address your problem better than another. It make take some trial and error. I definitely suggest that you talk to your doctor about it. The doctor is the best person to help you get some relief. good luck!

Oh and I forgot to say: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

No judgement here! I had 2 family birthdays during my preop diet, as well as my mom's birthday on the day of surgery. But.....I stayed on the straight and narrow during my preop diet phase, because it wasn't a "diet"....it was Preparing For a Surgery. The whole point of doing the preop diet is to shrink your liver & make it more pliable so that the surgeon can manipulate it easier to get to the stomach. When you think of it that way, is it worth a couple of drinks and some mexican food? This was a surgery. On my stomach. It's serious business. I wanted to give myself every single possible chance of a complication free surgery and recovery. You will have a birthday every year, and you can enjoy drinks and mexican food again in the future, I promise.

My goal weight right now may be rather ambitious. It's in the middle of the 'healthy weight' range for my height. I'm 5'9" and have set my goal at 150. My old WW goal was 165 -- I got to 158 very, very briefly in my mid 20's (I'm 42 now). But honestly, once I reach the top of that 'healthy weight' range I will reevaluate -- that's at 169. If at that point 150 seems impossible I will be happy with 165 (and a bounce of 4 lbs to always keep me in the healthy weight range). But omg I would really LOVE to see what 145- 150 is like! It may be totally doable. We'll see as I get closer to healthy weight. I think, for me, the main thing will be that I have reached a goal I've set for myself, even if I raise that goal to 169. But you're right, green eyed, losing 50 lb WILL make a huge difference in your life. And I agree, wrapping our heads around even the possibility of getting to a healthy weight can be mind blowing. But once you're on your way, you may well find that you've built up the momentum to go for a whole 100, or whatever you and your dr feel is right for you. The whole thing is a process. It's an evolution!

I'm the same -- never told coworkers about surgery, and when they compliment me I say thanks I'm working really hard. The weirdest thing I had was a few weeks ago an older and more senior coworker (female) said "So what size do you wear now?" I was so flabbergasted I think I made a face at her :/ and THEN she started guessing my pant size. And no, this was certainly never a topic of conversation with me and my coworkers at my higher weights! omg! So funny! I was polite but I walked the hell out of the room. It's hilarious to me that she thought that would be up for discussion! I know she didn't mean any harm, and she is a very grandmotherly type, but come ON. Totally. Inappropriate! LOL

I lost 10 lb during my 2 week preop diet. They called it a liver shrinking diet: every day i could have 2 protein shakes, 2 protein snacks, and a dinner of lean meat and non starchy veggies.

This is exactly what I needed to read today. thank you

Wow, amazing pics. Thanks for sharing them!

I'm only at month 9, but if you'll allow me to put in, I can answer to my experiences. Just in the last month I can eat a whole apple -- although I like small gala apples. However, prior to a month ago I could only eat a portion of a small apple. I have had a bite or two of rice and Pasta here and there, and have not ever eaten enough to feel discomfort. I don't think it would bother me unless I ate a bunch. That's why I stay the hell away from rice and pasta! LOL I do have wine before dinner occasionally, and sometimes I've had other alcohol. I just don't have beer or champagne, because the bubbles are definitely uncomfortable. I don't have wine (or any liquid) with dinner, or for 30 minutes afterwards. I am able to drink Water quite comfortably -- usually. I've always been a big water drinker, and when I'm thirsty I like to take several big sips. I would say after I was pretty much healed (couple of months) I could, on most days, drink water like I always have. Some days, inexplicably, big gulps are uncomfortable. Who knows why. So I always 'test it out' before I down several sips at once. Not really an emotional eater.... And no sadness really about not being able to eat large portions. Maybe more like frustration sometimes. And it's not that I can't eat a large portion. I've learned to eat "gourmet style" -- you know, small amounts of really good food. I find that no matter how delicious something is, when I'm full, I'm full. The frustration I think is just that it is SO DIFFERENT to the relationship I used to have with food. I just have to get used to getting satisfaction from eating quality food and not from the quantity. It's such a change and takes some getting used to. But ya know, before surgery I knew I would be changing my relationship with food, and that's what I absolutely 100% WANTED -- was to not enjoy so much damn food! LOL. The frustration is also in the cooking....I spend a lot of time to prepare a nice meal for my husband and myself, and then I just seem to get full so quickly. It seems like a waste of time to have spent time preparing the meal if I'm going to be done so fast.

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay Wags! Your hard work has paid off! OMGoodness! You look really really different! I love the tutu and am very impressed you're doing the color run. Way to go!!

I sadly agree. I read a post by someone who was within a week post op who was having problem getting liquids in. I suggested sugar free popsicles, because that's what helped me. Pretty benign, right? Well I guess not! Fairly quickly, someone went to the trouble to actually quote me, then say "No, no, no! Drink G2!" Now, either answer is reasonable advice; these are suggestions. I personally find G2 intolerable, but to each his or her own--- who cares? My point is there was neither a right nor a wrong. But why would someone feel the need to be so aggressive? The only thing I can think of is that this person gets validation from such behavior-- and probably this person is ONLY getting validation from being rude on the message boards. It was so absurd that I didn't bother to reply and honestly, it turned me off of the boards. It's not worth fussing over, but it was REALLY off-putting. I'm now just not as active on the boards as I used to be. I think to myself: if THIS is what makes you feel important -- then it's all yours, there ya go. Pretty sad really. So, all I can say is, when people are bullies like that on here, I just consider what may be the source of it.

After I had lost quite a bit I shared with him. But I waited until I had lost a bit, so I could say I used to weigh that, now I weigh this. I've always said what a big deal it will be for me to weigh less than him (he has always been fit, trim, and athletic). We recently had a funny conversation -- he said right after my surgery when I had commented that eventually I will weigh less than him, he just couldn't imagine it, but now he sees that it's going to happen. I currently weigh about 18 lbs more than him. He would like to add lbs to his own frame by lifting weights. I said we can wave as we pass each other -- me on the way down & him on the way up. Then I said, when we get to a point where we weigh exactly the same, we should see if we can pick each other up! Then we collapsed giggling because he added that we should try to see how far we can throw each other LOL

Yes you should go ahead and quit -- get your oxygen levels and lung function up to par. And it shouldn't be too too hard since you are only a casual smoker. Number one risk with smoking and surgery is blood clots. And of course you want your lungs in the best possible shape for going under anesthesia. And during your healing time, cigarettes can interfere with circulation and keep you from healing properly. It's just too much of a risk to not give up the smoking if you're going to have surgery. I was a half pack a day smoker up until about 4 months before my surgery. 9 months post op, and I have recently started up again a little.....I am being the 'casual' smoker you describe yourself as But please, give yourself every possible chance of having a successful, complication free surgery and recovery. Go ahead and stop ASAP. This is in your power.

I've never had children -- and for me the mirena was extremely painful going in. But wow, not enough to miss days from work! That surprises me that people would have lasting effects like that. It hurt at the time they inserted it. and then I just had to be still and lay down for about 15 minutes to catch my breath. But after that I was totally fine. I just had it removed because it had been 5 years, but I will be having a new one placed in about a month. This time the dr said she will give me a couple of Valium to take before and I think I'll be fine with that.

Well Well Well..... It’s been 9 months (roughly) since I had my surgery on 5/22/13. That’s enough time to have gestated and given birth to a baby --- I am 105 lbs lighter. That would have been a really big baby! LOL First – I will say -- the weight loss is slowing down, it is much more irregular. And, my eating is much more, shall we say, irregular as well. So it’s not the weight loss slowing down all on its own. I take some responsibility. I have gotten more lax in some ways. Still don’t eat very much in the way of bread, no rice, no pasta. Those things just no longer appeal to me. Which is – shocking! I never would have dreamed of that! And this will be my saving grace in the long run I bet. But I’ve had sweets here and there. And more cheese than I should have. Time to get a handle on that. I’m not in denial about it, and I have goals to reach so dammit I will do what it takes! The weight loss began to slow a couple of months ago --- it was bound to happen and I expected it. I went all that time with no real stalls at any point. Funny thing is – I swear I lose a bunch in inches when the scale is NOT moving much. I’m sooooo glad I took my measurements and logged them into spark people way back in the beginning, because when the scale isn’t moving I can see that my circumference is getting smaller I have lost – gulp --- 15 inches off my waist and 14 inches off my hips. WOW. I do have more of an appetite now. Nowhere near where it was before, thank GOD. But some days I have to catch myself grazing. So, when I began to struggle a bit I decided to try what a lot of vets are trying, the 5:2 plan. I am going to put something out here that on the regular board may invoke an uprising, but this is my blog, so I want to put forth this theory: the 5:2 plan has been bad for me. I have been reading on the boards the vets raving about the 5:2 ( 5 days of normal eating and 2 intermittent days of really low calorie “fasting” days) and I think it harkens back to my old unhealthy eating habits so much so that it has caused me some problems. I have tried it for the last few weeks, because I could sense that my weight loss was slowing down (as it naturally does when you get closer to goal). Well it has really felt like my old days of strict dieting and then going a bit crazy on the non-fasting days. I think falling into this pattern is to blame for my weight loss to stagnate further than it would otherwise have. I think I need to get back to a consistent and reasonable, healthy daily diet routine. With an occasional treat meal. Now, the vets out there who love 5:2 --- well it seems to be working great for them and I don’t fault them a bit for doing it. I just think for me, it is too similar to my old disordered way of eating. The thing is that I believe in 5:2 in theory, and I know that the 5 non fasting days doesn't mean these are Go Crazy days. It's just that for me, the 2 fasting days trigger me in such a way that I can easily go crazy on the non fasting days. It isn’t going to be something that works for me, at least at this point in my journey. It seems to work for me as a maintenance tool – I have stayed in roughly the same place for several weeks lol. And an interesting thing I want to comment on with clothing and sizes. I weigh 184 today. Fifteen years ago I was (briefly) at my Weight Watchers goal weight of 165. I wore a size 10 then. Today, I am also in a size 10. Which means that when I get down to 165, surely I will be in at least an 8? So I can’t figure out if I am actually smaller this time due to more exercise and having more lean muscles this time (muscle weighs more than body fat) or is this vanity sizing in action? My husband says it’s probably a little of both…. Another funny thing with clothing and the body dysmorphic disorder that losing a lot of weight fairly quickly can bring on: when I go to put on my size 10 jeans, and they look so impossibly small in my hands that I think there is NO WAY these are going to fit or even come up my thighs let alone over my hips and be able to be buttoned. But then, as I put my feet in the pants legs, one at a time, the seemingly tiny jeans seem to grow until they do indeed effortlessly slide up my legs, over my hips and are easily buttoned. It's like some crazy movie special effects. It is a very strange visual phenomenon! I know my mind is playing tricks on me. I wonder how long this will last? Anyways, I am still SO grateful to have had this life changing opportunity. Couldn’t be happier with the results, and I know the journey continues. I am committed to the process and to myself Onward!

QUOTE: I am strongly considering the Lap Band and I am trying to find out as much as I can about every aspect of the decision. I have done research on the good and the bad, one thing that I am not sure about right now is the loose skin issue, have you had much of a problem with that. How funny, I almost included that my skin isn’t so bad and I never had hair loss (2 things many people are concerned about), but the blog entry was so long already! Btw, I did not have the lap band; I had the sleeve. I applaud you for doing the research – I did too and I felt that for ME, the sleeve was the answer. Turns out I was right! But since you asked – I do not have a significant problem with loose skin. I am 42 so it’s certainly not perfect, but I’m not going for perfect --- besides that, it’s early & only time will tell the end result. I knew going into this that severely loose skin was a possibility, and there are so many variables (genetics being one of them). For me it’s not severe, but even if it was, I had decided that it was a small price to pay to get to a healthier weight where I physical felt better, could move more easily, could take some pressure off my knees, feet, and back. The risk of loose skin was worth it to me to improve my overall quality of life. I stopped snoring, so my husband and I both sleep better. I have more energy, and I have hope for the future. For me, the possibility of loose skin was not a determining factor when I thought about all the other reasons I needed to lose weight. I have heard a theory that with lap band you lose more slowly and thus can possibly reduce the risk of loose skin? I have no idea if that’s true, and I don’t think there’s any way to prove that because like I said, genetics plays such a strong role in your skin’s condition. As does staying hydrated, keeping the skin moisturized, eating healthy fats (which I believe kept my hair from thinning), along with how long were you obese, how obese were you, and what is your age. See – so many factors it’s impossible to know until you get there. So, think about all the other benefits of getting to a healthy weight, and decide – is it worth it to have the possibility of loose skin? For me, it was.

Same here.I cant remember how long we waited...not too too long but i know for thec1st week i just slept. When we did indulge we were very careful & mellow about it early on. Better safe than sorry!

and PS: congratulations on saying NO to the chocolates! AND congratulations on your weight loss!

I agree he probably can't imagine what it's like for you. Try not to fault him too much for this -- there will forever be people in your life who will test your resistance but don't necessarily have ill intentions. Besides, he's known you forever and chocolates & McD's always made you happy in the past I'd bet.....guys tend to try to stick with what works, not necessarily what is logical :/ Bless their hearts He's got to learn that you are changing your entire approach to food & doing what is healthy. It has been a big change for my husband to deal with too.... When someone gifts me food that's not healthy, I say either to them or to myself "I don't want that" instead of "I can't have that", and I find that kind of thinking helps me feel strong. You could just say "thanks for the chocolates....did I mention I've lost 49 lbs??!?!?" or "Yeah.....McD's is crap food really, and I don't want it....and did I mention I've lost 49 lbs??!??!" and smile like a lunatic!

The absolute most hysterical amazon reviews I have read in my life! http://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Gummy-Candy-Sugarless-5-Pound/product-reviews/B000EVQWKC/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1

Awesome awesome awesome! Your surgery was a couple of months before mine so we're in the same graduation class so to speak I am so stoked to hear you've reached (and passed!) goal! You've done SO well and you're very inspiring to me & hope I can get to my goal as well You look gorgeous! And happy and healthy! All the hard work you've done has obviously paid off! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!