jennybittyboo

I hate that there isn't a way to look at before and after pics on this site. There should be a section dedicated to before and afters. After all, each of you deserve to be recognized for your hard work. (Hoping I have my surgery in June)

Doing great here! Sleeved on march 8. When I started pre op diet I was 206. I'm 177 today! I was afraid since my bmi was only 36 or 37 I would lose super slow...but I'm very cool with this :-)

That if you keep touching it you will go blind!! Oops! Wrong forum.

I read all your messages. I'm so grateful to God for giving me this big supportive group. We don't know each other but I believe we are connected emotionally. Thank you very much, you touched me from the bottom of my heart.
Now, here's where I am today, 3 days after I was rushed to ER.
In one word, I'm MISERABLE... I'm plugged to all kind of IV Vitamins, one of which makes me sooo nauseous and sick. As a pain killer, they use Perfalgan on me. 1000 ml for 6 hours. So I'm living in constant moaning because the minute the antipain bottle is off, the pain is on. Today, they're going to put a kind of stent on my leak by endoscopy and then we're gonna have to wait and see.
I smell like a horse because I'm sweating like a horse. My hair looks like a cheap wig and my mouth is bitter and dry.
As for the stay, well, my doc moved me today in a private room because the situation was unbearable where I was. My neighbour who had a kidney stone removed was receiving family and visitors all day long. Not to mention the TV and the lunch and dinner gathering...pfffft I almost saw a bbq party coming!
So, I just woke up. In pain as u can imagine. All my Iv's are centralised into an electrical box that distributes the liquids in the recommended doses but that forbids me to move more than 2 feet far from bed. And that's what's eating me inside out. I'm trapped against my will. And this situation is going to last for some more weeks!! Believe me I'm beyond crazyness but it comes to my mind to the remove all that martian system and go back home to die in peace and dignity. I'm soooo sorry for what I did to myself. I was healthy, happy but overweight and I wanted to stick by the damn social rules and here where I Am now. I missed this shot and I am the only person accountable in this nightmare.
I remember not very long ago, a girl who has a low Bmi (roller or smtg like that) was having a hard time convincing everybody she needed the surgery. I hope she reads my experience and that it is not too late. But I also wish she doen't mess up with this thread cuz I'm extremely sick and I wouldn't bear my mobile bipping all the time lol.
Thank u for reading and God bless u my friends. Kisses. Pascale.
[Don't let your emotions make you their b***h]

Momto6ix,
I just had my sleeve done on March 20th and believe me if there were any other way for me to successfully lose weight - I would have never put myself through this pain. (I am alergic to the majority of pain meds so pain management is not fun for me).
There have been a few items pointed out to you in some other posts that I will repeat, that I hope may help you understand a bit better.
This is a tool, and it is a tool only as good as it is used, and if used properly helps in these ways a conventional diet does not.
1.) The stomach size is reduced by aprox 85% depending on the surgeon and the size of stomach that is left. Leaving only 2 to 6 once of space for both food and drink. So overeating in the early stages in not an option - you can't choose to ignore this diet.
2.) The hormone ghrelin is what causes up to feel hunger - this surgery removes the part of the stomach that produces this hormone so hunger is elimanted. If you are not phyiscally hungry all the time - you don't feel like you need to eat all the time. Early on after this surgery there is still some actual hunger especially when you are still on the liquid phase of the diet, this is normal.
Combining both 1 and 2 causes you not to be able to quit. Since you can only eat a few onces at a time, you are forced to make better food choices. If you make the wrong choices your body lets you know. Either you are sick to your stomach or worse, you can become protien deficiant and very ill. All of us who go through this surgery know we must eat a certain amount of Protein each day to avoid this, so we are forced to chose our foods more carefully. On a regular diet you can cheat, binge eat, or just stop if you like with no consequences other than not losing weigth. If you cheat on the surgery (and we will all be tempted or think ahhh just one bite of this won't hurt) you will pay for it in a real way.
Because you are forced to comply you will lose weight, and will be more confident as you lose the weight that you will lose more. And as you lose weight you feel better, as you feel better you are more inclinded to exercise. It is that simple. Now as far as your husband being able to walk but not use an exercise bike - it is to soon for the bike, think of the motion your legs take as you bike how they press upon your stomach, this will cause pain for many this soon out. And my doctor personally told me not to use a bike for at least 6 weeks or until I was cleared for this type of exercise. To only walk as much as I can - not to overdoe, to much exercise to soon can cause injury to the insicions and the internal incisions and cause a tear or leak which will only send you packing back to the hospital. Slow but sure is best.
As far as his "stall" this too is normal at this stage
"A "stall" a few weeks out is inevitable, and here's why.
Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of Water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of Water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.
As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a saber tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored." from www.dcfacts.com.
Also you may not get weight loss if you do not get enough Protein (60g-80g) every day. If you do not eat at regular intervals every day or if you do not drink enough fluids (64oz) daily.
And finally it takes time for your brain to catch up to your body. Those of us who have taken this extreem route of surgery know that it was our last choice and last chance, it is not taken lightly.
Since eat is a very social event for many of us it will take each of us a different amount of time to adjust to being around large groups, resteraunts, or events. And Alcohol is not really reccomended for at least 6 months to a year after surgery and even then only in very small amounts and not on a regular basis. So there will be adjustment to make.
Personally being very close to the same time out as your husband I can identify with his feelings. For me if you are not going to save positive things to me, then say nothing. This is an extreem strugle whether you believe it or understand it or not. And most of us here know 100% that without this tool we could never lose weight and keep it off.
So it is not just one thing that makes this tool effective, it is many. And the choice to quit- has been taken away from us all, so this is why this is so much different from any diet you do by choice.

@rebecca thank you so much!! I read your post and instantly got up to fill my water bottle up! I am definitely going to try this out. Hopefully I see a difference by the end of next week.

How are you feeling? My sister is doing alright, she has had her moments, but overall she is trying to push thru the pain.

Thanks everyone! She has been walking, the nurses told her she definitely won the walking race at the hospital. I told her everyone's recommendations. I am just a worry wart older sister. I hope to have my surgery the 2nd week of June.

Thanks everyone! She has been walking, the nurses told her she definitely won the walking race at the hospital. I told her everyone's recommendations. I am just a worry wart older sister. I hope to have my surgery the 2nd week of June.

Hello,
I've been poking around site for a few weeks now. I had my Drs appt a few weeks ago. Omg, I feel like its going to be forever before I get the surgery. I have so many steps to take! Anyone else out there feel like you are never gonna get thru the enormous check list you have to get thru before a date is scheduled?

You look incredible! I am so worried about my skin sagging. I am still early in in the approval process, but excited to get the weight loss journey started! Keep up the great work! God bless. ????