ellabella777

Lately I've seen a TON of posts about lucky sleevers that drop 100 pounds in six months.
Congrats to them and to their loss. And I would never, ever begrudge anyone the right to crow about a fantastic success. It's part of why we're all here, to share the ups and downs of this surgery!
But frequently, these posts are followed by folks that feel frustrated because they aren't losing at the same pace. All too often, we forget that everyone loses at a different pace. It's easy to lose sight of the real goal (long term maintenance) in the face of the scale goals we set for ourselves. And it's also easy to forget that this isn't a race and that there's no special prize waiting at the end for reaching goal more quickly.
I would like to contribute my loss pattern so that people can see that there is more than one way to achieve a goal. Being successful is about reaching your personal goals, overcoming your personal food demons and maintaining your weight loss for life. It's not about hitting goal in nine months.
I encourage everyone else with a slow loss story to contribute their successes here as well. It's hard to research this surgery and find only the stories about extremes - people completely thrilled with surgery or people that regret every minute of life post op. The same goes for loss. When people search out stories on this, it's too easy to only find rapid loss or stall posts but nothing showing the more realistic and moderate journey many of us take. The sleeve is a permanent tool that does not have a special window of easy weight loss. There is no reason to feel discouraged when you haven't reached goal at one year out, or even two. There is nothing preventing you (short of your own body's natural stopping point) from achieving or re-achieving goal at any point post op.
I lost 60 pounds in the first five months after my surgery.
And I slowly lost 32 pounds over the next seven months.
It took me another five months to shed the final 15 pounds to my goal.
I lost 107 pounds over the course of 17 months. I stalled twice for nine weeks each time. I had months where I only lost one pound. I regularly experienced a gain of three pounds around my cycle, and often only lost weight in the last week to ten days of the month, after sitting at the same weight for nearly three weeks.
I am a success, and at 2.5 years out (and currently pregnant) I still have good, healthy eating habits and maintained my weight loss quite easily. Even 30 weeks pregnant, I am still wearing a size 6/small (in maternity clothes, of course) regardless of how I feel about my expanding body!
I learned what was important on this journey and am in better health today (not just physically, but mentally and emotionally), than I have ever experienced as an adult.
Good luck to those currently on their journey, and I encourage everyone to share their stories here so that newly sleeved folks can see that slow vs. fast loss doesn't really matter in the end.
~Cheri

Hey Janice! I don't know what you've done or said that might have offended someone, but seriously, some people LIKE to be offended and others love to be victims. Let them, it gives them something to do, something to whine about. It's ok, they'll get over it when someone else comes along to offend them, I promise!! I'm good at getting everyone all riled up, it's easy around here, with no effort at all.
Even if I knew what was said, I assure you, I wouldn't dislike you unless you were being out and out mean to someone, even then, I'd send you a personal message, I wouldn't dress you down on a silly forum. You are fine, just hang in there. If you have any questions, there are plenty of us around that will be glad to answer you if we can. If not, there are plenty of us that will have SOMETHING to say.....keep in mind, whenever we answer, it is our opinion, our story. You have to sift through all of it and hold on to what helps you. Also, don't forget, you should have easy access to your doctor's office, the nurse, dietitian etc. They're a real source, don't forget, they know you and your case!
If you don't have a real life support group, I highly recommend you find one, at least one....and go...go as often as you can. The people there will become your friends, and a real live, living breathing group of people you can lean on, I promise! Don't worry about the small stuff, and I promise, this cattiness that goes on here, keep a sense of humor, it IS small stuff. Keep that in mind and laugh about it!! My prayers are with you girl....good luck!

I am not at liberty to say everything I know or how i know it. But I can say that Dr. Garcia himself is looking into all of this now.

Not talking about any " flirty Latin" he was her attending Physician entering her hotel room.. Alone, and preying on whomever takes his bait. It's the perfect meat shop for the WOMANIZER.
I considered Dr Garcia an excellent Dr, but if he condones this behavior then I've changed my mind. Simple deduction.

It was rather a serious matter. Not everything can be hearts and flowers. No normal person likes a fight but at times, fight we must.
To me, this is normally a light-hearted forum. Lots of love goes out here. Sometimes support can be messy. Don't you guys have family?
This was a disaster.
I will stay. I've been in battles before when all the wimps cleared out from behind me. Not a good feeling.

So, I assume I didn't misunderstand?

Yes interesting how it was taken down then a miracle reversal was made just in time for the retraction...
But I'm sure it will be all in our heads and didn't really happen that way.

WTH?
So not cool that all the while the company and drs are conniving to get a retraction the VST forum shuts this down?
What is this Lunagate?

If I have been unclear about anything here, is certainly isn't how I feel about Luna's actions or ANY implication that he is a victim of some sort. I don't think I have ever even said anything that could have implied that I felt he was a victim, let alone straight out said it.
And as far as knowing the OP's intentions, I found out her decision minutes before my post about her posting a retraction. I hadn't seen her retraction on this post yet, but was informed by her of an official retraction to the company. I was led to believe all last night and today that she was planning on contacting the company herself and telling them what happened directly.
Ironically, I was "blindsided" myself this morning when I was forwarded an email from the company where she sent a vague denial of wrong doing. I found out then (meaning late this morning in pacific time) that she was planning a retraction at all. Throughout the day, we spoke off and on as she also spoke to other "influencing sources." I believed that she was going to follow through like she said and make a formal statement to the company.
This afternoon, I received an email from the company informing me that because she has issued a retraction and they have "never had any patients complaining about him, believe me" That they appear to be wiping their hands of the whole thing and calling it a day.
I then spoke to the OP and told her what the company had said to me, including Dr. Luna's denials and dismissive comments about her, she was very relieved and grateful that there would be no consequences from her post outing him in the first place. I told her then that I was upset for being placed in the position I was in and that I was highly uncomfortable with the way things were settling. And I have stopped speaking with her out of my hurt for how I feel she lied to me about her intentions to do the right thing, despite someone's convincing. And also because I value my integrity and pride myself on being honest with people, even when it's not the popular opinion or one they want to hear.
Your post is a perfect illustration of that. You imply that I knowingly defended someone planning a retraction, and corroborated a story that I knew would never be reported. I pride myself on my integrity and honesty. Your post is a perfect example of how she put those parts of me in question with her actions!!

Shame on you. You are attacking the wrong person here. At first, Kristina was trying to do the right thing and stand by a friend through her emotional hardship. She defended her integrity and then, when she found out about the deceitful retraction, encouraged her to do the right thing.
Short of physically forcing the OP to do the right thing, what else can she do? Kristina had a great experience yet rightfully pulled her good review. That shows integrity and compassion for others.
Kristina has done nothing wrong here. Review the thread, the timeline and the facts before you continue to bash her for nothing. You are looking quite foolish.

Love you, girl. xxxooo

Then get on the phone, talk to the OP and make sure she does the right thing. The honorable road is rarely the easy one. There are agencies in Mexico she can file a complaint with.

You don't look dishonest at all.
I find the whole "retraction" despicable and unless the OP is still in her late teens, she is far too old to act so immature and foolish.
My only concern is that she is under some sort of duress, either legally or emotionally, to be lying now. No one doubts that it happened, it's too bad that she doesn't have the balls to stand behind it.

It's back up.... But after reading some of these latest comments from some of these "ladies"
I almost wished it wasn't.
I am truly saddened by some of these judgements and lack of understanding about something that is so ethically wrong.
Do you have mothers? Sisters? Daughters?

She mentioned he's already moved on to other vulnerable patients .. Maybe it's not illegal, but gosh dang, as friends here.. I'm glad she said something