BKLYNgal87

My future MIL has a lot of reasons to dislike me, my weight is only one item on the list. When I was obese she'd say to my fiance that this meant I was lazy and ugly and not wife material. Now she tells him as soon as I get skinny I'll leave him for someone better. I just can't win. Thankfully she doesn't live in the US, and won't be at the wedding

Thanks Laura! I have to say in the last 6 months the most important lesson I learned was to plan every meal and plan every workout. I don't have much control when I do things on the fly .

BMI as of yesterday = 29.9! It's been a whirlwind 6 months since I started the pre-op diet. I am down 75 lbs. Went from a size 22/24 jeans to size 12. I wouldn't characterize my story as a success yet because I've come to realize that the biggest challenges still lie ahead, but I've made a lot of progress. As per gamergirl's request, I have uploaded pics. ^ Me before pre-op diet. Highest weight 260. ^ Yesterday. 75 lb loss. Current weight 185. Everyone have a great weekend!

I'm with Arts. I can't do one bite, because one bite is never one bite.

Will you be using a nasal pillow or face mask? Everyone is different when it comes to what works for them, but try both to see which you'd be most comfortable sleeping with. My suggestion for getting used to the mask is to start using it on a friday night (provided you don't work on the weekends) and keep it on the whole night, whether you sleep or not. Then the next night chances are you will be so tired that you'll sleep with the mask on much better. It took me a while to get used to it, but once I did, my life markedly improved. Edit: I want to add that since I've lost 75 lbs I have needed my air pressure level adjusted to a much lower setting. I am hopeful when I'm closer to goal that I won't need it anymore at all. Many people are able to cure their sleep apnea through significant weight loss.

I guess I could author a "The Journey So Far" thread . At the moment on top I am in between sizes (12/14). I guess fortunate for me my girls haven't deflated yet, but I'd love to get rid of some of this damn back fat .

I won't lie, I had a couple of my uber expensive suit pants tailored in the beginning rather than buying new ones, but those have since gotten too big. Went from size 24/22 to a 12. I am not eager to buy up a whole bunch so I am subsisting on 4 outfits right now. I have 2 huge trash bags of clothes that I am sending off with the Vietnam Vets of America this weekend. I've never been so happy to see my drawers and closet sparse!

How far out of surgery are these people? Check back with them after 6 months or a year and let's see if they are singing the same tune. I think my motto for this site should be "It's stomach surgery, not brain surgery!". The sleeve is absolutely not a cure for emotional eating or even hunger for the vast majority of people. I don't see how it could be, as stomach hormones are not solely responsible for the feeling of hunger. A lot of the hormonal process takes place in your brain too. In the beginning while you are healing and re-adjusting it's normal for cravings and hunger to be minimal. Your body withstood major trauma. But these habits and hormones return for a lot of people a few months after surgery or a little further down the line when they are in maintenance. For me the hunger isn't as voracious as it once was, but I definitely started falling back on old habits (not overeating but eating trigger foods and snacking). Trigger foods and snacking are things I will always struggle with. The sleeve helps me to keep portions small, but the rest is up to me.

In a word: marketing.

I work for a hospital and agree you shouldn't disclose the hospitals or doctors were involved until a formal complaint or suit has been lodged because you don't want to be countersued by the hospital or doctors for libel. Complications are very complex in nature and there's no way to know for sure from speculation what the cause of death was, or even if her complications played a role. Was an autopsy performed (I'd have to assume given her age it was)? If so the results from it should paint a clearer picture. I hope it will offer your family some closure as well. Then you can move forward with your decision making. Lyndsey, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

I have a piece of fruit nearly every day. I do not eat much in the way of rice, Pasta, bread etc because they are trigger foods for me. Sweets were and will always be my biggest trigger foods. Yes, the sleeve restricts how much you can eat at one time, and in the beginning for most people you also lose the desire to eat because the stomach tissue removed from your body produced a lot of hormones associated with hunger. But this lack of hunger tapers off for most people after a few months, then it's more up to you to not snack a little all day long. To be successful post-surgery you need to examine your bad habits (overeating, snacking on bad foods, etc), replace them with good habits (Protein first, portion control, etc), and be vigilant about maintaining those good habits. It is a tool, and if used well, an excellent one.

Unless you are bulking up like crazy, which we women hardly ever strive to do, you will build lean muscle and lose weight at the same time, provided you are being compliant on the diet. Diet, the high Protein low carb diet in particular, is absolutely the most essential component of weight loss, but it starts to get harder the further out you get from surgery to lose weight without physically challenging yourself and burning off calories. If you are physically capable of exercise and you like doing it, go for it. Why not just cardio at first? My routine: I do interval cardio 6 days a week (1 day is a tabata class), either 30 minutes or an hour, and I lift weights usually for 30 minutes 3x a week. I am still losing pounds (albeit currently stalled - it happens to us all) and getting ripped. I have been back at the gym since 3 weeks post-op. I lost 73 lbs so far and am almost 6 months post-op, so no, I don't think exercise has impeded my loss at all, and I went from a body fat percentage of 47% to 34%. My cardiovascular health has improved tremendously. I had elevated blood pressure pre-surgery, and now it's 118/78 and my resting heart rate is now 50. Also, I do not eat back any calories, no matter how many I burn through exercise.

Very similar to Atkins and that is why the sleeve diet works. But some surgeons require you to also eat low fat in addition to low carb. Here's an older article that has been circulating about the Atkins and other low-carb diets - it's an excellent analysis: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html?src=pm

You look absolutely terrific! You don't even look like the same person, even. Congratulations on your success!

Glad to hear you got some answers. Yes at 2 months post op you should be able to take just about any pills no problem.

Do you have a fever, even a low grade one? I very much doubt forgoing the vitamins for 2 days would result in your current predicament. Definitely get to your doctor's office. You know your body better than anyone, and if something feels not right you need to get it addressed ASAP.

I also think it's important to remember that just because a surgeon has an MD degree doesn't mean he or she practices medicine. Most of their job is cutting and sewing - not medicine. There is no legitimate medical reason for banning NSAIDs [taken in moderation] for life unless you have an ulcer condition. Do you have any idea how much ibuprophen you'd have to take to cause a "bleeding ulcer" that wasn't already there? Enough that you'd be in the hospital already for an overdose.

Untrue. NSAIDs should not be taken for 2-3 weeks post-op because of bleeding risk. When you're healed up it's fine to take them.

Hmm since you posted this in the gastric sleeve forums I guess I'll give my take. Every surgeon is different. Mine said no alcohol for at least 30 days post-surgery. I have had the occasional wine or cocktail since then. For sleeve and bypass patients especially (can't speak for band patients) alcohol absorption is more rapid, which causes you to get tipsy quicker. Drinking more than you can tolerate is not something I would recommend, not just because of the anatomical change from surgery, but because you'll be making yourself more vulnerable in social situations and you'll have less control in advocating for yourself. For me one stiff drink is enough. But I don't plan on imbibing much these days. It's empty calories and I'm having a tougher and tougher time with the weight loss the closer I get to goal. I think with moderation it's okay, just be wary of cross-addiction, as it does occasionally happen to bariatric patients.

I drank CAFFEINATED - never will do decaf, ever - coffee 1 week post op and have been drinking it every day since. Just because something is recommended (giving up caffeine post surgery) doesn't mean it's actually medically necessary. But I don't count coffee in my daily water intake. It can be a diuretic for me, so I drink to compensate.

You look SO amazing, girl!! I'm inspired! Love that sweater dress too

Lyndsey, Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your sister's story. You are absolutely right, her voice needs to be heard. I am so sorry for your family's loss.

Okay, don't take my remarks as being mean, take them as tough love. You are making a lifelong change to your body. But this surgery isn't going to be your magic cure. YOU have to be your cure, especially once you get past the first few months. I am almost 6 months post-op from surgery and my restriction has decreased a lot and my hunger has, alas, increased tremendously. It's very rare you'll find patients who lose hunger and cravings forever. I never threw up once, despite the couple of times I truly overate. Bad habits, like eating a lot of carbs, slider snacking, or take out, can come back swiftly if you let them, and derail your weight loss or maintenance. At this point I am, for the most part, running on my own steam and my own self-control. So now that some light has been shed on how difficult the road will be post-surgery (by myself and other posters) you should ask yourself, are you ready to make real change in your life? The biggest test of your preparedness is the pre-op diet. If you fail at it, you are actually failing yourself. You cannot count on your sleeve to change who you are mentally or your habits. It's stomach surgery, not brain surgery. Only you can decide here and now that you will NOT continue down the path of obesity, that you are going to take a stand and make a real commitment. Do I think non-compliance will cause harm if you go ahead with the surgery as planned? Probably not, but that's up to your surgeon who you must consult with. Medically speaking, the pre-op diet benefits patients who have a fatty or enlarged liver by possibly shrinking it a bit or changing the composition. But mostly it's to help you get your head in the game and prepare you for a different way of eating and living. If I, a certifiable food addict can do it, so can you. Your health, well being, and happiness are worth it.

I'm currently in the throes of an awful plateau so I know how you feel. It's so easy to get mad at myself and the scale, and to deprive myself further and further just to see the numbers move down. But there's something to what sofia said, sometimes you need to relax a little, let your body adjust, and maintain for a little while before pushing yourself again. I know it's frustrating, but you've come so far already. You will definitely keep losing if you don't get discouraged and stay good to yourself. Maybe mixing up the exercise and cutting down on carbs will help. That has been helping me up until this point

Hey GrumpyCat! I was sleeved June 12th. I am down 72 lbs total. HW - 260 SW - 253 CW - 188 I lost the first 70 pretty easily, I'll admit. But then it came to a screeching halt. I stalled for 3, almost 4 weeks at 190. I got annoyed so I did a 5 day pouch test (I'm on Day 4). Lost 2 lbs. I'm thinking the rest of this journey is going to be a lot of plateaus with a few fits and spurts in between. I track my food, eat very few carbs, and kick my butt at the gym 6 days a week (high intensity cardio and weight training). You are doing great! Everyone loses at their own pace and as long as it's consistent you have nothing to be worried about. Be proud!