Shrinkingmom

Beautiful pics!!! You look fantastic! So proud for you!! [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

It doesn't start until 4 or 5 months out and it is rather alarming at times. I don't have a noticeable loss but I am 8 months out and it is still coming out much more than before surgery. The upside is that I have a lot of new, fine, hair coming in to replace it, especially around the hairline. You won't go bald over it though. [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

You have to just continue doing what you should and wait it out.... I was 2 weeks out when it completely stopped moving. I mean it did not move an ounce for 2 1/2 weeks and I was soooooo upset. I started having all the "this is not going to work for me" and "why did I do this" thoughts and then it started again and quickly. I am now 8 months out and have not had another period of no loss like that. Your body has to adjust and see that you are not in some kind of crisis. It can't hold out forever so you just have to continue your journey and know that this is a marathon, not a sprint. I promise it will continue to fall off soon! Hang in there!! [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

My husband laughs at me all the time now because I have always been so "hot natured" griping if anyone said they were cold.... Now I wear fleece pajamas and socks around the house complaining abou how cold it is and I have to crawl in to a warm bed with my electric blanket (which I never would have tolerated before)! He thinks it is hilarious and now I regret all those mean things I said about people freezing and how they could put on more clothes if they just would. Sometimes, I can't get enough layers to stay warm! It is rather funny! [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

That is AWESOME and you look FANTASTIC!!! I am so proud for you!!! I know you will do great with your upcoming surgery. Just think how much healthier you are now to have surgery than you would have been if it acted up 111 pounds ago. Keep up the great work!! [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

Coldeeze and Airborne. They are just zinc and Vitamin C and really work to speed up getting over this kind of thing. Good luck! [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

The idea of this surgery is to never "diet" again. You eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, exercise, and it comes off because you can't eat more calories than you expend. The heavier you are, the more calories you use, especially doing inactive things such as sleeping. The weight loss will wax and wain because all of our bodies are different. The best thing this surgery has given me is a feeling of control over eating because I no longer can just keep eating for other reasons besides hunger. It is perfectly ok to have any feelings that you have and to want to continue doing what we have always done and that is to go right back to the "dieting" mentality. I want to be free of all that! Please hear my heart, and know I am not judging anyone here. None of us are exactly alike and everyone handles things different. I just wanted to give another perspective. If you have never seen it, go to www.theworldaccordingtoeggface and read her site. She talks about the diet mentality a lot. Good luck to all of you. Hang in there because it does get better!! [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You look great and I can't wait to get there! [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

DO NOT GET SO DOWN!! Both myself and my sister have had the sleeve. I am 8 months out and she is 11 months out. Both of us stopped losing around that same time and the scales did not move one pound for three weeks! I know this is discouraging and you think that you will be the only one in history that this has not worked for, but you are wrong. When you eat as little as we do with the sleeve, you WILL lose weight. There is no way around it. Your body has been thrown in to starvation mode so of course it panics and tries to hold out to get you through the crisis. Pretty soon, it can't hold out any more. I know it is easier said than done but try to quit worrying about the scale and keep right on going. This is for the rest of your life, not just a few weeks. This stall does not break or make you. I hope you started measureing at the beginning because that helps a lot when you see the inches still continuing to drop off even when the wt stalls. Pick yourself back up off the floor and get on with doing what you are supposed to. I PROMISE you, you will see the scales begin to move again shortly. [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

That is exactly right because anesthesia makes it worse and can cause multiple problems post surgery. Did you also know that not getting enough true sleep will slow down your weight loss after surgery and can also cause a gain. That is another reason my Physician first sent me to get the study. He told me that if you are not sleeping well, (breathing enough and getting enough oxygen) you are fighting against it when you try to lose weight. Results are much better for the people on CPAP or who don't truly need the CPAP. Sheetmetalgirl - you should get a new machine. The one I have is very small, when I put the mask on it is totally silent and sometimes I even have to put my hand in front of the mask holes to make sure it is working. I also have a lot of sinus problems and with the CPAP and the humidity it gives me, those problems have virtually disappeared. It has honestly been a Godsend for me. I was terrified when I found out how bad my apnea truly was and I had no idea. It even scared the tech who did my study and she woke me up and put oxygen on me (even though that doesn't help it at all since you aren't breathing) She just felt that she had to do something and couldn't just sit there and watch my oxygen in the 50s. She asked me how I even functioned during the day. This is a VERY important thing and to ignore it is to put yourself in a very risky situation. [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

If a study shows you need it, you need it anytime you are sleeping at home or otherwise until another study shows you don't. You don't always realize you have problems when you are sleeping. [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

From a Nurse standpoint as well as a patient standpoint, if you are diagnosed with sleep apnea you ALWAYS sleep with the mask until a study proves you don't need it. Sleep apnea is most linked to heart attacks which occur in the early morning hours. Mine was so bad my oxygen was dropping into the 50s at night and I thought I was sleeping fine. I just had memory loss, severe headaches in the morning, and a very tired feeling. I fell asleep every time I tried to sit down to do something. Now that I have lost 108 pounds they have been able to reduce the pressures but you may or may not be able to come off it no matter how much you lose. When you first get it, sit up and read with the mask on for a while before bed. This will help you get use to it. I feel so much better, I haven't slept one time without it since I got it and don't want to. It's not as bad as it seems! Good luck with it! [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

I did not have the pain you are describing but I did have the dimple and it definately goes away. It is where the stitch inside is pulling the skin down. My surgeon told me that one of his patients called him after surgery and said she had 2 "tater holes" in her stomach. We had a good laugh about it but it is weird to see when you don't expect it. I feel sure the pain will improve and may be muscle related due to your positioning during surgery. I am a nurse and we see that a lot. Good luck with it all! [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

I started out at 321 and at 7 1/2 months post op am down 106 pounds. Before surgery, I would have thought that was impossible! Yes I exercise regularly, going to the gym at least 3 times a week. I am loving life now and that is a huge improvement! [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

[sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868] For a long time, I didn't eat breakfast foods for breakfast but ate refried Beans with cheese, tuna salad, chicken salad, etc. Whatever I could get my Protein with. I now eat greek yogurt every morning and even though you don't like anything sweet for breakfast, some of the others may so here are 2 recipes I alternate between: 1/2 Cup Plain No fat Greek Yogurt 2 packs Truvia 2 Tbsp Ground Flax Smuckers sugar free Caramel Sauce Pecans Mix the first three ingredients together, drizzle the top with the caramel and sprinkle some pecans on top. Tastes just like turtle cheese cake without being too sweet. 1/2 Cup Plain Fat free Greek Yogurt 2-4 Tbsp PB2 Peanut Butter powder 2Tbsp milk 2 packs Truvia Smuckers Sugar Free chocolate sauce Pecans Mix the first four ingredients together, drizzle the top with the chocolate sauce and add pecans. Reminds you of a Reese Cup. These are both high in protein (The second one has 23G) and are very filling and satisfying to me. I make these and pack them the night before to take to work for breakfast. You just have to experiment with a lot of things and see what your tastes are. Mine have completely changed. Good Luck!!

[sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868] I was raised as a plate cleaner as well. Moregoodtimes has a point. You only use a very small plate and put a small amount at a time. If you finish that and wait a little bit, you will probably find out you don't want any more. If you do need more, just a small amount at a time. One of the things that helped me the most is making sure you are eating very slowly and putting your fork (baby fork) down in between bites. Also, make sure there are no distractions like tv or reading. For a long time, I had to not even talk while I ate because all of a sudden, I would look down and there was no food and in just a minute I felt miserable! This is a learning curve and you must find ways to relearn old habits. I applaude you for attacking it now and not waiting! That is what got us here in the first place. It all works out if you work at it!! Good luck, you can do this!!!

Dont look at this that way... this is just a delay but if you give up it is a stop sign. Your Doctor probably NOT educated on the procedure and doesnt understand obesity. Just go along and jump through the hoops. I had to wait 4 months and it gave me time learn nd wrap head around it. There are no accidents! Keep going! [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

I am 7 1/2 months out and can eat anything I want, just small amounts. I avoid sweets totally because I am a food addict and I know I would jump right on it and not want to stop. You can only eat so much at a time and when someone says "I can't eat another bite", it is literal. You feel miserable and like you have eaten Thanksgiving dinner if you eat one bite too much. The one thing about this surgery is that you can eat so little that you don't have to worry so much about "diet" foods. For the first few months, I was not hungry so that was great. This does come back but by that time I had learned to eat 3 small meals a day and a snack with a concentrated effort on my protein. The best thing I think this surgery gives you is the feeling of control over your food. I was so out of control before the surgery and now I feel powerful that I can stop after a small amount (even though I have no choice). I feel better than I have in about 30 years and have so much energy it is amazing. I exercise regularly, which is very important, and I do EXACTLY what they tell me as far as my eating and fluid goes. I'm not sure why people go through this and then not follow the plan set out by their surgeon. It is not easy but it is so worth it. I have never grieved for food but my sister did after hers. She is over it now though and very thankful that she did this. I hope you do very well and are as happy as I am!! [sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868]

[sharedmedia=trackers:tickers:6868] The constipation is the worst and having to eat even though you are really not hungry! I literally had to go by the clock to eat. It was a huge change for me:)

I love the sleeve! I am 7 1/2 months out and down 106 pounds! I have friends who have had gastric and haven't done near as well. It has a lot to do with following the plan! It is a personal decision though so good luck! You will choose correctly for you:)

Nervous is normal! We all wondered what if... Think about it this way; What if I dont have it? For me that scared me much more!!! I was eating and diet g myself right in to the grave! I am 7 1/2 months out, 106 pounds lighter and finished my first 5 K. I would do again tomorrow but this is personal and you just have to decide which is scarier... surgery or staying the same. Much love and prayers!