deedeemuffin

I am a vegetarian & am working on weaning out dairy & eggs to be vegan. You will get a lot of differing opinions on this topic, but ultimately you need to make the decision that's right for you. It is actually very easy to be a vegetarian with the sleeve. You can get in your Protein in a variety of ways: cheese, tofu, dried edemame (this has been a life saver at 14g of Protein for only 1/4 cup), yogurt, meat alternatives (I like Gardein products), Beans...I'm sure you get the picture.

I have tried meat twice since being sleeved 6 months ago. It was moist & I chewed very well & vomited both times. My sleeve doesn't seem to like meat at all. So, I make it a point to just eat as healthfully as I can using mostly plant based whole foods. I can not get in the quantity that I did before being sleeved. I keep track of my food intake on My Fitness Pal so that I make sure to get in enough protein.

Different doctors & nutritionists will have differing opinions too. My nutritionist says that my diet is a little carb heavy, and that I would lose weight more quickly if I ate less fruit, rice & Beans, tofu & rice, etc. You know what, I've lost 101 lbs. in 6 months so i'm not really that concerned. I eat what feels right & healthy. I drink my Water. I exercise. That seems to work out just fine.

So, don't let anyone discourage you from being vegetarian or even vegan. It is possible to get in all your protein without any animal products. It is also not the end of the world if you eat 2 pieces of fruit a day instead of the half a piece recommended. You can also eat healthy grains in moderation too. Quinoa is a great one. So, listen to your body's intuition. Sometimes it's the smartest thing that we can do.

A sleep study will be beneficial if you do indeed have sleep apnea. It gives you one more reason for your insurance company to approve your surgery. I have sleep apnea & I wasn't allowed to use my machine for a full week after surgery, though. The surgeon didn't want to risk air getting into my sleeve.

Wow! Some of you are really putting me to shame. I can do 2 miles now, but I'm 6 months post-op. My surgeon was also very insistent on only walking for the 1st 8 weeks. Now I do an hour of yoga 4 days a week and walk 2 miles 5 days a week. My surgeon & nutritionist said that they are very happy that I get that amount of exercising. So, I guess it's different for everyone. Don't push yourself too hard so soon after surgery though. You could really cause yourself some injury & it's easy to dehydrate. So, be careful.

You had a Cinderella moment--okay, I know, Cindy was LEAVING the party, but still! Great excuse to go shoe shopping!

I totally did. I was actually at a bar in Manhattan for a friends wedding reception. My bf was already up the stairs ahead of me, but an attractive bouncer at the bottom of the stairs got me shoe & held it out for me to slip back on! LOL. It was great. When we were leaving he said, "Goodnight Cinderella". Maybe my bf isn't my Prince Charming after all.

Yup. They sure do. I hadn't worn my dress shoes until almost 2 months after I was sleeved. I got dressed, put on my shoes (Yes, I only have 1 pair of dress shoes lol) and they were flopping on my feet. It was too late to stop & try to find a new pair. I was walking up the stairs at the event I went to & I literally stepped right out of my shoe!

I'm 6 months post-op. I am experiencing feeling hungry again & being able to eat more. I notice that there seem to be a lot of variables though. For example, if I start my day with food instead of Fluid I can eat more at Breakfast (a whole NY bagel as opposed to a half). Nobody needs to tell me that I shouldn't be eating Bagels. I know. I think Laura is right. This seems to be where some hard work begins. I am happy with my results 6 months out, but I have to make better choices. This week I have been dealing with the return of PMS cravings. It's been hard because I haven't really had cravings before now, but I have been wanting ice cream all week! I haven't had any & am feeling cranky as a result.

Just keep hanging on & try to find what works best for you. I am in the same situation. Like I said, I notice that when I drink more regularly I have less capacity for food. I still follow the rule of no drinking 30 minutes before or after meals. I avoid foods that easily slide through my sleeve (like Cheetos). Sometimes I just serve myself 6 oz of tofu, vegetables & rice but don't eat anymore even if I think that I'm still hungry. It's trial & error. The sleeve is a tool & I guess this is kind of like we just got our training wheels taken off. You're not alone & we can all do this!

Stalls are VERY common. You are losing more quickly than I did. It's taken me 6 months to lose 101 lbs, and I have had to learn to live with stalls. My longest stall was 3 weeks. I didn't gain or lose even 1 lb. I have had 3 stalls over the past 6 months. They are usually followed by a dramatic loss week on the scale. Once I lost a clothing size during a stall but no weight. Just keep doing your program...get in your Protein, avoid simple carbs, drink your Water, exercise & the scale will eventually catch up. Keep up the awesome work!

Hi VST family & friends. I haven't been on the boards here in quite awhile. I took a break to concentrate on my schoolwork which turned into a schoolwork/ we're buying a house start packing break! So, yes, I am moving. My bf & I close on our first owned home in about 4 weeks.

On 5/27 was my 6 month surgiversary & I am proud to say that I am down 101 lbs! Woohoo! I can't believe what a difference 6 months can make. I'll have to get new pics up at some point. I know how everyone here loves pics! LOL

I have gone through so many changes mentally & physically that I can't even believe it. So many wonderful things. Obviously the 101 lbs gone is nice, but so many more NSV that I'll need a whole other thread. I'm afraid it will be manifesto like in length! I just wanted to say, "Hi. I'm back & better than ever!". I look forward to catching up with some old timers & making new connections. New pics & manifesto to come...probably within a week.

Everyone has different opinions & experiences with this. Some swear by fat-free everything. Some more natural. I am 6 months out & have found that my sleeve has an aversion to a lot of things. Particularly processed foods. Even at this point, every time that I try a food that I haven't had post-sleeve I treat as if I have never had it before. It's really like learning to eat all over again.

Personally, the more ingredients on a label the sicker it made me. I'm talking afraid to be 3 feet from the bathroom sick. It was awful. I have also found that my sleeve doesn't tolerate meat...not even moist & overly chewed. So, I stick to mostly very basic whole food ingredients now. Luckily I have a share in our local CSA. So, I eat a lot of Beans, rice, vegetable stir fries, vegetables with home made hummus, fruit & nuts. I depend on Protein Shakes to make sure that I do get in enough Protein. I have had to learn to be very creative so as not to get tired of them!

My Dr.'s office transitioned slowly too...1 week on just Water, followed by 2 weeks of just shakes & Water. Then some food so mushy I didn't want it...lol. I thought that I was going to lose my mind, but it gets easier in time. All I can say is don't let others dictate your diet, not even your NUT. Mine tells me that I eat too many carbs, but I get also get in all my Protein, water & exercise. I'm down 101 lbs in 6 months so I'm not complaining! Take advantage of this time to learn how to really eat healthfully. Listen to your body (not your head hunger talk) & you will make the right choices. It looks like you're already off to a great start!

Congratulations! You are doing an amazing job & you must feel so good about yourself! Keep up the awesome work!

I absolutely believe it is possible. The sleeve is an amazing tool when utilized correctly. Before my sleeve I would lose & regain the same 30 pounds over & over. After I got sleeved I dropped that 30 pounds fairly quickly & then hit a stall for 3 weeks. I was terrified that I was doomed to never lose any more. Well, I am now 6 months post op and down 101 pounds!

I still have well over 130 more to lose, but I know that I can do it if I just keep on my plan. If I get in my Protein,drink my Water & get in regular exercise I keep taking off weight. None of us who have been sleeved are perfect, but if you can get into some healthy habits it will definitely come off.

Everyone is different, but I have learned a couple things that have helped me. The first is don't compare yourself to others. There are people who are on the boards who have lost 100 pounds in 3 or 4 months. It took me 6 & others have taken longer than 6 months. This is YOUR journey & will be different from anyone elses. I weigh myself once, maybe twice per week. I was weighing every day & making myself crazy with the daily fluctuations. Realize that you will have stalls. Everyone does. It is just part of the process so, don't lose hope. Ask questions & connect to other people. This can be a very difficult process at times & the more support that you have the better.

The most important thing for me has been learning to accept my journey & learning to be kind to myself. I don't know about you, but it has been very hard for me to learn to put myself first. There are many people like you and me who have a longer journey ahead of us than others. We absolutely CAN do this though!

My sleeve journey is going great. I am down 76 lbs. & feeling great. Tomorrow I am going to start exercising 6 days a week with my boyfriend's sister who lost 110 lbs. all by sheer willpower. I love her because she does not judge me being sleeved at all. Here's the stinker. I have 3 1/2 weeks left of my college semester. My last day is April 28th & I leave for vacation on April 29th. I am abstaining from any social media or time drainers. Although I love this site & the supportive people here, I have to take a mini break. So, you won't hear from me again probably until when my vacation starts or some time after April 29th. I know you all are so sad! LOL....Seriously, I know you will all be here when I come back on. My plan for the next 26 days is go to the gym, get in my Protein & Water, do infinite piles of homework, cook & clean. It will be worth it when I am feeling relieved & healthy on my vacation. I can't wait to see what my updated story will look like by then. So, I'll see you on the flip side. Keep working those sleeves!

Pic monkey??? How to do?

allons-y

Just go to www.picmonkey.com On the main page click on collage. On the next page click layouts on the left. Then select "ducks in a row" It allows you to do anywhere from 2-5 pictures side by side. Simply upload the pics that you want then click and drag them into the boxes. I am not computer savvy at all & it was really easy. Good Luck!

Hey deedee muffin I'm from rockland as well. For me I want kids so there would be no point to get the plastic surgery until I'm done having children

I'm only 34 but I decided a long time ago that I didn't want to ever have kids. So, I want to find out the soonest I can get my surgery once I get to goal. I agree that if you want to have children it is better to put off the surgery. For people like me, though, we need it ASAP!

You are SO not alone! You are right. There are a lot of positive posts, but the truth is the majority of us feel like we went through hell. I am only 4 months post-op & I remember very clearly what it was like. From the moment I woke up in the recovery room I was like, "What did I do to myself?" I didn't even have the benefit of a pain med pump like most do. I just had one small drip bag & if I needed more I had to get horribly painful injections in my upper arm.

My surgeon's diet requirements were clear liquid only for 1 whole week post-op & then adding 3 shakes a day for 2 more weeks! I couldn't even have soft, mushy food until the start of my 4th week. My first week I couldn't even sip Water the way they tell you too. My boyfriend would use the food processor to grind ice chips for me to suck on just to get liquid in. I couldn't sleep actually lying down flat for about a full 4 weeks.

Everything was horrible and I had so many questions. I remember laying on my couch crying thinking if I had just had enough will power I wouldn't have had to permanently mutilate my stomach. I was convinced that I had ruined my life. Then the inevitable came very early for me. I had a stall. I dropped a ton of weight weeks 1 & 2. Week 3 I was still on Water & 3 Protein shakes a day for a total of 300 calories & I didn't lose even one pound! Then week 4...no weight loss. Week 5...no weight loss. I was convinced that I had just lost the 30 lbs that I had managed to lose & regain over & over again in the past.

This website was my saving grace during that time. People said that it will get better. It did. People said my stall would end. It did.

I am now 4 months out & down 75 pounds. I went from a very tight size 32 to now a comfortable 24. I have too many non-scale victories to list such as fitting in a booth at a restaurant for the first time in over 2 years.

I am not going to lie to you. I still have hard days. I was pouting earlier tonight because my sleeve was hurting from snacking on too many raw vegetables! I wouldn't take it back for anything, though. In the end it is going to be so worth every big & little pain and drama we go through. I am still considered a newbie, but I have faith that I can follow this through to a healthy new life. So, can you & we are all here to help you anytime you need in any way we can. It REALLY IS going to get better. Just hang in there! I can't wait to see when you're 2,3,4 months out & encouraging people who will be right where you are right now!

Congratulations. You are doing a fantastic job! You look great! Way to work that sleeve.

It looks like you're rocking with your sleeve as well! You don't have your weight posted, but I see that we both started out & are now at a similar BMI. So, give yourself the credit you deserve. I chose to only tell my immediate family & one of my closest friends who was banded that I was having surgery. Also, NO ONE except my Dr.'s & people who are on this sight know what my starting weight was. Only here can I shout from the roof top, "I used to weigh 418 pounds!"

its like loosing aroud 20 pounds a month!!! thats awesome i wish i can loose those pounds a month too,go girl!!!u look really good

I'm sure the weight loss will slow down a little once I start weighing a little less. I think people who have a really large amount of weight to lose drop big numbers in the beginning. I bet if you looked at someone starting out 100 lbs or more less than me at their starting weight the percentage would be the same. For example I have lost approximately 18% if my total body weight over 4 months. That is the equivalent of a person who starts out at 250 losing around 44 pounds over 4 months. I am not trying to say that I haven't done well with my sleeve so far. I'm just saying that someone who loses a much smaller number is working their sleeve just as well. I think we get so caught up in the numbers. Do you know what I mean? Don't get me wrong, though. I am still going to make sure to post when I am down 100 lbs.,150 lbs., 200 lbs., every time I lose a size or have a NSV, etc,! LOL

This is kind of shameful but last easter I ate SO MANY of those little cadbury eggs that they still don't sound appealing, a whole year later.

Well, at least they weren't a temptation for you this year. Those silly little eggs are addictive! I honestly don't think that I can say that I ever ate so much of anything that I didn't want to eat it anymore. Probably because I was like a bottomless pit. However, about 10 years ago I was out one night with friends drinking some kind of blue martini. I got SO sick. To this day just seeing a blue drink or even "blue" anything listed as an ingredient in a drink makes my stomach turn. 10 years!

I don't even KNOW what these tiny Cadbury eggs are that you guys are talkin about!! W a thin candy shell? Cadbury? Hm.

Guess I was too busy suckin all the caramel out of the big ones to notice. Lol

Count yourself lucky that you haven't tasted them & if you see them DON'T BUY THEM for heavens sake! It will just be one more food to avoid.

Some of you were able to see my pics yesterday, but someone gave me a tip about using picmonkey to do a side by side comparison. I still have a LONG way to go. I don't see it when I look in the mirror, but when I look at these pics side by side I can definitely tell the difference. I would really recommend this to anyone, but especially to those like myself who have a really large amount of weight to lose. Trust me, I would have never complained about losing ONLY 76 lbs. in 4 months in the past, but when you get sleeved you want it all to melt away quickly. It still holds true that we did not gain this weight overnight & we won't lose it overnight. I will be keeping a pic log from now on so that I can see the results more clearly for myself & stay motivated! The before pics are me at 418 which was my highest weight and also my weight on the day of my VSG. The after pics are from yesterday...4 months & 4 days out at 342.

I found this post very interesting. I see that a lot of people go to Mexico for their plastics since it is so expensive here. I also live in NY. I am from Orange County right outside Westchester. I see that you have lost 118 pounds which is awesome! I was under the impression that you had to be at your goal weight for a year before plastic surgery. Was this case with your Dr.? Also, did insurance cover any of it or was it all out of pocket. I don't mean to be nosy, but I am down only 75 lbs. & already seeing a lot of skin sagging. I need to lose like another 150 pounds, so I am going to need some major plastics!

Congratulations Grace! I know that is definitely a wonderful feeling. I know that we have had our differences in the past, but I wanted to reply to this. I have always loved Easter candy the most! The Cadbury Cream eggs & the Cadbury Mini eggs with the Milk chocolate & thin sugar shell were my absolute weaknesses. The day after Easter I would go to the pharmacy & clear out any of those that they had left. I was able to make a huge Easter basket from my boyfriend and hold it together...well mostly.

I know you will LOVE this part. I broke down and bought the mini shell eggs for myself on Friday. When my boyfriend went to bed I took them out to have "a few" while I played a game online. Well, I had them on my lap & had eaten exactly 3 when the bag fell on the hardwood floor! Eggs were rolling everywhere & the cat & dog came running to try to get in on the action. I picked up the bag & there was not even one left inside.

I had to get the broom, sweep them up & throw them all away...lol. A serving size of Cadbury mini eggs is 12 for 190 calories. So, I got 1/4 of a serving and 47.5 calories. I think it was my bodies way of saying, "We didn't lose 76 pounds by eating chocolate! It was a blessing in disguise.

So, A very big congrats to you for not giving in at all!

That last floral dress is SO flattering on you! Good job at styling your new figure! Yes, u def look smaller - well done & keep going!

Thanks. It's kind of funny. I am not really very good at picking at clothes. I think that I am missing the shopping gene most women are born with. LOL. The dress is a hand me down from my boyfriend's sister. She lost 110 lbs. & has been saving all her clothes for me! That dress was in a bag of 24's & I have 2 huge bags of 22's & 20's from her when I go down the next two sizes. She is in a 12 right now so I am covered for awhile. It is really such a blessing for me to get wonderful, free clothes from a person with a sense of style. The only thing I need to buy for quite awhile are bras & underoos!

I posted this very same topic yesterday! You can definitely see the difference very clearly. Great job! Keep up the good work & try to go a little easier on yourself. As someone said to me yesterday. "We are our own worst critic". That is so true. Trust in the process. You already on your way to looking healthier & hopefully feeling healthier too.

Try picmonkey.com. makes it easy to do comparison collages.

Thank you! I will definitely give it a try!