Oliver's Mom

Whooo hooooo you look great!! keep up the great work

Crab legs are OK. They are a great source of protein!!! And they are not too high in calories if you don't dip them in butter. I eat crab now, but dip it in a tiny bit of cocktail sauce. Good luck with your surgery!!

Congratulations! You look great. I LOVE reading stories like yours, it keeps me going. Sometimes the scale does not move, but the clothes sizes change?!?!?!? So I go with the clothes. I love that you named your sleeve. I am naming mine Miss Vivian - after the character Julia Roberts played in "Pretty Woman" !!!

Sleeved - Dec 3rd Breakfast - SF Carnation Essentials with 1 C Lactaid lunch - Trader Joe's turkey burger, 5 steamed baby carrots Dinner - 3-4 oz fish or shrimp or chicken breast, sauteed spinach (1/3 c) 1 Tablespoon sweet potato Snacks - 1 cheese stick, 1 SF pudding cup lots of water, herbal tea

Congratulatons!!! That is Major!!

Whooooohoooo!!!! Congrats to you!!

Congratulations!! that is awesome. And I love that you are treating yourself on these accomplishments! Keep up the good work - you are an inspiration

Good to know! Thanks for sharing.

Good one!!! Congrats

Hi, I'm 59 and had the sleeve on December 3, 2012. So really I'm new at this myself. But I have to say it is the very best thing I've done. I feel and have felt wonderful....no issues post-op - lucky girl. I like to think that my experience is the same for the majority of folks. I left the hospital completely off all of my Diabetes medications, my high blood pressure medication from 2 pills per day to only 1/2 of one of the pills. From the start when I began the journey (information session in August 2012) to today, I have lost 40 lbs. I've always been a 'rule-follower' all of my life, so following the 'rules' and plan of my medical team is good for me. I'm happy to be an ear, a friend, a cheerleader for you. You will do great!! I just know it.

Today, 7 weeks and 1 day out from surgery I had two non-scale victories. When I started this journey (August 2012) I was wearing a size 22 pants (women's) Today I can wear a size 17 Juniors!!! pants. Whoooohoooo. I was shopping in Traders Joe's right after that victory and decided to buy my husband a bottle of wine. I was asked for my ID at the register - I will be sixty on my next birthday!! In just 9 months!! I don't even care if they ask everyone for an ID - I just know it made me feel fabulous. Especially since I chuckled and told the cashier that I would be 60 on my next birthday and she didn't believe me. After seeing my license, she said I look great and I don't look my age. Happy girL! These little things make up for when the scale stays the same or only moves an ounce or two even tho I'm eating according to the plan and exercising.

Good luck, you'll do great. Your focus should be on you for a while now, this is something you are doing for YOUR health. It's hard but just let the comments pass you by. They will change their tune when they see how healthy & happy you will be.

Happy to be part of something so positive!

When my PCP asked if I had ever thought of having WLS to help with my diabetes and HBP, I said I would have to think about and research it for myself. I did that for 3 months. During that time I didn't say anything to my husband of 20 years because I wanted the decision to be my own. I told my husband before I went to the informational session and invited him along. He was thrilled that I was going. He is an RN is the operating room (of a different hospital than I went to) and scrubs on WLS all the time. He knew the difference it could make but was sensitive about mentioning for fear of hurting my feelings. He has been so amazingly supportive throughout it all. He, who never misses work, took off an entire week so he could be home with me. I felt great and didn't feel I needed someone there 24/7 but it made him feel better. He has never had a weight issue but is so understanding about it all. We hosted Christmas dinner here, my grown children, their spouses, my former husband (father of my kids) and his wife and friends. My husband was a great help. I was on soft foods at that time and made things I could eat as well as the roast, etc for the others. Those who did not know I had had surgery didn't even comment on what I ate or didn't eat. My husband helped with all of the kitchen stuff, as I was still restricted to lifting and such. He's adjusted his eating a bit to more mirror mine, as far as lower carbs, lower fat, changed the amount of coffee he drinks a day to just one cup and he drinks it on his way to work!! Cute. My surgeon recommendation is no coffee for a year. There was one day recently that he said in a joking tone that he thought I would trade him in when I'm skinny. I took his hands and told him very sincerely that I would not leave him. I was doing this for my health and for us to be together for a long long time. I continued on saying all the things I wanted to do with him that I couldn't comfortably do when I was at my biggest. My future plans are for my health and for our future together. I think that eased any concerns he may have had. I am 7 weeks out tomorrow; the journey is young yet, we're having fun and being conscious of healthy eating and activity. Walking every weekend day together gives us time to talk and laugh and plan. Looking forward to spring when it is not so cold or snowy or dark and we can walk every evening after work. Keep communication open and honest and be reassuring. Good luck.

Per my medical team, I take chewable multivitamin with iron, chewable vitamin C. Chewable calcium citrate 2x a day, sublingual B-12, and 1 Prilosec (6 mod). I was already taking Biotin so I continue to take that.

I use My Fitness Pal

Wow!!! Great job! You're an inspiration to so many others!

Everyone is different, but I tried shrimp - shredded really fine and mixed with a little low fat mayo when I was OK'd for soft food.It was rough. I waited about 10 days then tried shrimp again, this time as shrimp cocktail - chewed it really well and it went down ok. If you really wanted to eat it, I would try a bite, chew it forever, then wait a few minutes before you try another bite. Shrimp is my favorite!! So I was determined to keep trying it til I could eat it. Good luck.

This was a great thread to read. It is so inspiring. Everyone's contributions help keep things in perspective, making me realize that life will be normal. I selected a goal weight and then was told my my Nutritionist that it was too low. I plan to reset the goal as I continue to lose and get to that place where I feel comfortable. Thanks for your post! And, you look beautiful.

You look amazing! Congratulations on the results of all of your hard work. You ARE a Rock Star!!

sleeved 12/3 weight day of surgery - 209, today 176!! Happy HEALTHY 2013 to all of us!!

Ice skate again in the winter, feel comfortable again on the beach in the summer, shop for cute clothes, preferably in the single digit sizes, be healthy & energetic to take care of and play with any future grandchildren and feel confident when I am out at a social event with my husband and dance, dance, dance.

You look amazing!! A real inspiration to those of us just starting out in our post-op journey. I love that you are motivating others. Keep up the good work and keep us posted!

You look great! And congratulations on the results of all of your hard work. You are right, it is not the 'easy' way out - it is a lot of work and a lot of changes pre-op and post op. Not to mention that you have a major nonreversible surgery done! But as in anything and anywhere, there are some folks for whatever their motivation will always believe it's the easy way. Keep up the good work.

You look wonderful!! What a great way to start a new year!! Congratulations on the outcome of all of your great work.