BigDaddyJoe

She's done pretty well, down 55 lbs since April 19. She could do better, but she doesn't follow all "the rules". She doesn't always do the protein shakes, eats things like ice cream, and drinks these frapuccino things that she gets from Costco, even drinks soda occasionally. I don't dare say anything. She would get defensive, and tell me that I need to start eating those things. There could be something to the completion thing, I'm 15 lbs lighter than she's ever known me to be. I mentioned that to her, that she's never known me this thin, and just has to get used to it. Her reply? That she would have never dated me if I was this thin. SMH.

I don't know what the issue is. She is usually very supportive. I don't know what to think anymore, my body image is so out of whack. What I see in the mirror is not what I see in photographs. But if she is jealous or feeling threatened, she should be doing the opposite, not what she's doing now.

So, my wife today again used the "S" word to describe me - Sickly. She says I'm getting too thin, and need to put on more weight. I don't know how to stop. I think I may be leveling off - I was 178 a few days ago, 180 yesterday, and 181 this morning. I don't want to start going in the wrong direction, but she doesn't understand that. I've told her several times that it hurts me when she says that, and that it isn't helpful, but she won't stop. Come to think of it, she's never really been very supportive of me, post-op. She had the surgery also, so you would think she would understand. But when I would be excited about the weight loss, or breaking a stall, I would get little or no reaction from her. I'm not quite sure what her issue is, but it is maddening to me. Maybe it's because I'm thinner than I've ever been in the 17 years we've known each other. Maybe it's because some of my clothes don't exactly fit me too well, and my neck looks tiny in the too-big neck holes of my tshirts. Who knows? Oh well, everyone else tells me I look great, and I feel great, so I'm going to try to not let it get to me.

Good luck to him!

Ok people. I've just read this entire thread, and came to the following conclusion: spending pages attacking someone's comments you deem to be judgmental is JUST as judgmental as you think those comments may be. If people would just give their own advice, and not comment on someone else's, no matter how you feel about it, it wouldn't turn into a flame war. Just my 2 cents.

Will, you've lost in record time. Why do you keep thinking you're going to fail? Probably because you have so many times in the past. Make this time different. Use this tool that is the sleeve to get the most out of it. Don't set yourself up for failure. Don't stress about the future, live in the present. Deal with what you have control over. None of us knows what the future holds. Hell, the entire US economy could crash at any time, and the paper in our pockets could be as worthless as Monopoly money, and we'd ALL be jobless. Focus on what you can control, and take it by the reins, and you can get through anything.

Great idea, Tap. I would have people PM the names to you though. You don't want someone stealing a good one.

The answer for me was - no.

Great job! I'm also a March sleever - was sleeved on March 8. My stats: Starting weight - 274 lbs Current weight - 180 lbs I am 10 lbs below my surgeon's goal, and trying to stop losing with varying degrees of success. I'm attaching my before and after picture here. The after shot was from about a month ago, I'm actually 10 lbs less than that now. Are you a member of the March Sleevers Facebook group? I created the group for a bunch of us March sleevers that were talking in a thread on here a while back. There are currently 117 members, and it's great to see people's progress who are in a similar point in their journey. It is a 'secret' group, meaning you have to be invited, and none of your friends can see your posts or even that you're a member. If you're not a member, message me your email address and I'll get an invite out to you.

Well, the sleeve is just a tool, it doesn't address your mental issues, and why you eat when you aren't hungry, etc.. That being said, I find I no longer really care about food, so it is much easier to concentrate on eating the right things. It has become very routine for me at this point (6 months out). I pretty much eat by the clock, 3 small meals a day, with some snacks (cheese sticks, nuts, etc) in between the meals.

I understand fearing the unknown, but in this case, embrace it! I was sleeved 6 months ago yesterday, and I can't tell you all the positive changes this has made in my life. I am actually about 10 lbs under my doctor's goal right now. I am off blood pressure medication. I have no more GERD. I have no more sleep apnea. I no longer get winded going up a flight of stairs. I can keep up with my kids. And, I look better. I didn't tell many people about the surgery beforehand, out of fear of what they would say. I wasn't going to tell people afterwards either. However, a few days after surgery, and I woke up at 5 am and it weighed heavily on my mind. I didn't feel comfortable lying to people. I decided to come clean. Write then, at 5 am, I started writing a long letter that I posted as a note on Facebook. I explained what I had done, what the surgery is, what it isn't, why I did it, how I was feeling. I ended the letter with a warning to people who would possibly be thinking of saying something negative or cracks jokes, not to do it, it wouldn't be taken lightly. I've had nothing but positive reactions from people, saying they were proud of me for taking responsibility for my health. I get questions, because people are curious about things, and I don't mind answering them. This has been one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I have absolutely no regrets. If you're interested in reading the letter I wrote, it is in my blog on this site, one of the earlier postings. Good luck to you!

I haven't held on to any of my fat clothes, got rid of 3 garbage bags full of clothes a couple months ago, and have been accumulating a pile of get rid of clothes as I pull them out of the closet and try them on and decide they look ridiculous. I had some skinnier clothes in the attic that I'm glad I had saved. I do still have my kilt from my bagpipe band, that could count as my fat clothes. I am going to need to have it altered, so I won't have it as a reminder after that.

I'm 6 months out and still get it sometimes. It really depends on how low your carb intake is.

I couldn't have yogurt until the puréed stage, after 1 week.

Most insurances require BMI of 40 and above, or 35 and above PLUS 2 comorbidities. Are they recommending that you gain weight to qualify for surgery? That sounds dangerous to me.

i agree - why???Are you already failing, or expecting to fail?

Yeah, it can be hard. The headaches I got the second or third day after giving up carbs were unbearable! Pretty good idea to try to ween yourself off of them ahead of time. Don't make yourself miserable longer than you have to though. You really won't crave them the same after surgery, so it is actually a lot easier then.

I make a dish where I use it with some shrimp, imitation crabmeat, stir fried vegetables, garlic and olive oil. It is delicious!

Yes, you will definitely know it! And once you find it, you will want to not ever eat to that point again! It is more of a discomfort in your chest than in your stomach area now.

I assume you meant August 6. I am 6 months out. In the first 4 months, I had 4 separate 2-week stalls, the first one right around the 2 week mark. I am still down 89 lbs in under 6 months. Just keep following the plan. The body doesn't release weight in a straight line. After 1 2 week stall, I lost 5 lbs overnight, then a lb a day for almost 2 weeks, then another stall. It can be frustrating, but don't get discouraged!

Yeah, the ketosis is horrible, and my breath could knock over a horse!

Don't look at it like it is cheating! Look at it like this - before the surgery, would you have stopped, or been able to stop at three spoonfuls? I admit, it is a bit soon to be deviating from the plan. But if you go forever denying yourself an occasional treat, that is no way to live. Forgive yourself, and get back with the program.

I track religiously, which is a complete shock to me. I tried tracking during a previous diet and never stuck to it. I think it was because I couldn't be honest with myself about what I was putting in my body. Now it is easier, because I'm doing mostly the right things. It helps me get to my protein goal every day, and to keep carbs down. It also helps me see when my calories are too low. I had a day recently where I had only eaten about 500 calories by 8pm, so I made myself eat a snack. I tend to stall when my calories are too low, and the only reason I know that is because of MyFitnessPal.

I drink lots of crystal light, and I use the Mio water flavoring. As far as exercise and preventing blood clots, just walk as much as you can. I went for a walk every day, even if it was just around my block a couple times. I didn't do anything more until I was cleared for exercise at 6 weeks. As for what to eat, that all depends on what stage you are in, and your doctor's recommendations. If you tell us what stage you are in (liquid, purée, mushy, etc), we could probably give you some ideas.