NMJG

Hi Brant, welcome! We like funny stories and jokes here. Boring people, not so much. Just kidding LOL........

Yeah, me too. My layer of blubber is gone. Now it's all layers of clothing trying to keep me warm.

Was sleeved 5 months ago. I had a BMI of 36, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, arthritis in my hips, and knees about to give out. I was a size 20 XXL. Everything exhausted me. I'm 53 and felt every inch my age. Today I'm a BMI of 25.9 - almost normal. I wear a size 10/12. Went from 3 blood pressure meds to one. Arthritis is nearly gone and knees are great. Trigycerides and cholesterol are excellent. Blood sugar is terrific. Energy levels are excellent, can even bike and do weight training now (ok, not well, but I'm doing it lol). I'm not hot all the time. For me it was the right decision. It was very hard, this is not a walk in the park. I have had to completely change my eating habits, but I'm really ok with it. For the first time I feel like my hard work paid off and will continue to pay off if I use this wonderful tool to its full extent. I am terrified of gaining the weight back, but I feel like I have a really good chance of keeping it off for life this time, thanks to my sleeve. I'm just over 30 lbs from goal. I lose slow (be prepared for that - not everyone is a fast loser), but I couldn't be happier. I did have terrible throat issues the first 3 months, so hard to swallow, but that's gone now. Remember there is risk with this surgery. You may be the 99% that has no trouble or you may be the 1%. Prepare yourself for either case.

Y'all, I lose maybe 2 lbs a week at 800 calories a day, and that is without cheating and getting in exercise. I know some folks who lose slower than that. Everyone loses at a different pace. Not everyone loses 100 lbs in 6 months. Don't get frustrated, just be patient, stay focused, and let your body do its thing. Benefits to losing slow: Skin has more time to adjust Clothes don't need to be replaced every few weeks People don't assume you have had WLS or are deathly ill, so it can help you avoid nosy nellies

I am into greens right now, collards, kale, mustard greens. Sauteed with olive oil and garlic, or roasted, or cooked down in a pot with some ham or bacon. Yummy.

Cali, lots of opinions here, but I'm going to add mine. I think it is a terrible idea. You have had surgery, you are barely healed from it, you are in a stall ( which everyone goes through), and your eating habits are a world away from WW diet. All this could do is give you bad information and put you even further off track. I suggest you talk to your nut, after all, that's what they are paid for. I also think your calories are pretty high for 7 weeks. You can't be eating much at this point, which suggests that you are perhaps not making wise choices, not drinking all your water, maybe you are drinking with meals, not getting in your protein, maybe not getting in enough protein, and not eating protein first. Good luck getting back on track. Try sticking with the program you signed up for and use your doctor and his staff.

Once a week in the morning. Otherwise I obsess over every little thing. Dinner last night, water retention, etc. can all affect daily weight. For me, weekly weighing is mentally healthier.

Just my $0.02 but surgery is kinda like marriage; if you have doubts just postpone it until you are sure one way or the other. Sleeve surgery isn't going away, so wait until you are sure and ready.

What he said

I suggest you start by calling your insurance company. I have UHC and they have a department devoted to WLS. This is all pre-approval but gets you started on the right track with doctors that your insurance will approve, provided you meet the criteria. The nurse assigned to me was very helpful and it was she who recommended I use the internet forums for research and support while I figured out what to do and who to use. My insurance required a "Center of Excellence" and in my area there were very few of those, and all were 200 or more miles away, so my choice was pretty easy, and I've been delighted with my doctor. Even though I had to travel to another state, the "Center of Excellence" lived up to its reputation.

Best wishes to you!

Thanks! I need some encouragement!

I split it in two then microwave it for 10 min or so. Adds some Water to the dish to create steam and cover tightly while cooking. The way to tell if it is done is when you run a fork through it, it shreds easily. A friend today suggested "hashbrowns" out of spaghetti squash. Cook it, then squeeze it to remove any liquid. Then cook it in a touch of hot oil or roast until crispy. Crispy sounds good, doesn't it?

Ugghhh, I'm so out of shape! My trainer is a deceptively cute little muscle mouse who is torturing me in the gym along with a dose of eternal perkiness. She says it will be sooo much better in a month that I won't believe it. Just about killed me today LOL. Doing this madness 3x a week. Hope I make it a month. I am remembering why I hate exercise and am such a lazy azz. Gotta turn this around!

For once, my doctor and I are on the same page. My personal goal (buck nekked in the morning) is 125. My doctor's goal is 127 (in the office with clothes on). When I was thin before, I was fairly stable at 140 (size 8) but I definitely had another 15 lbs. to lose, which puts me at 125. Hope to see it in 4 more months. I am 5'4 1/2"

Are you talking Texas bbq or southern style bbq with sauce? Texas style bbq (smoked, no sauce) is a great post-surgery thing to eat, lots of Protein. I think sauced bbq would not be so great post sleeve because there is a lot of sugar in bbq sauce between brown sugar, molasses, ketchup, fruit juice, etc., just my $0.02. Maybe if you scraped off the sauce. I'd also stick with coleslaw instead of potato salad, and skip the bread. And no Big Red lol

4 months for me. My dr recommended waiting for 4 months out. I tried a few leaves here and there around 3 1/2 months but couldn't do more than that.

I signed up with a personal trainer and am starting today. My dr. suggested strength training at my 4 month checkup last month. I'm very excited. I hate exercise, but I am very motivated right now. I want to get my metabolism going again, tighten up my saggy, baggy body, and put myself in good shape for future long term success. I had my measurements taken, caliper pinching, "before" photos, etc. My trainer has 6 week cycles, so we change it up every 6 weeks and modify based on progress. Anyone else doing something similar?

Thanks for posting, interesting info. The stats are encouraging. Unfortunately, the study is a very small number of patients, 46. I look forward to seeing more published research with larger populations as more sleevers pour into the population over time. Sleevers 10 years from now will have so much more data available than we do.

You look downright sinful, LL!

My nut says shake liquids do not count towards the fluid total, but if you had a glass of milk outside of the shake, it would count. That's just me, tho, others may be different.

I like those big tea ball infusers for herbs and spices. Cheap and they keep the bits out of the water.

Hmmm, haven't thought about this. Tummy tuck maybe. It is just such a gift in itself.

I hope I'm not fat in my dreams because I'm usually naked for some reason. :0

Good girl, get back in the saddle. I had a rough holiday season, too, but am refocusing for 2014. Holiday season is soooo difficult. Best of luck to you.