Indigo1991

Thanks both. Ha ha, yes, never thought of being overweight as an achievement! But I will take it....

For the first time in 23 years, I am no longer described as any version of "obese", having just snuck into the BMI range for "overweight".... in 12 weeks. Yay! I can't begin to explain what the sleeve has done for me, my health and my life. It hasn't been easy and I know I have still a long way to go, not just with weight but the issues that got me to where I was. But this has been a life changing 3 months and I am so grateful I have gone through it. Future looks bright.... :-))))

Please, please hang in there. You are doing the right things, if you want to exercise more - walk. But you are experiencing what has happened to most of us, you are in a stall. This is when your body stops everything to sort itself out and the scales usually stand still. Most commonly happens around 3 weeks out and can last for days and weeks. Your body has been through a trauma and is now functioning in new circumstances so it's not surprising that it is taking a time out. But nothing you are doing will be wasted, you will see a weight loss, just have faith, stick to what you are doing and stay calm. It is working, just hang in there and don't give up. Probably not the last time this will happen either - I am 12 weeks out have lost nothing in last two weeks but I keep going doing the right things and I know my weight will drop again. Thinking about you, good luck and let us know what happens... X

You are not alone, we have all been where you are. There's a phrase you will see repeatedly on this site that you should bear in mind - this too will pass. You will get thru this, purée and soft foods and all of this will just be a memory. Good luck!

Bod not bid ha ha!!!!

Makemyownluck, have a fantastic time on your date. Enjoy it and savour every moment, great feeling when a new relationship may be starting - then report back here with ALL the details, lol! I am off on a second date at the weekend and we are doing lunch. So I may have to say something cos at 3 months out he's going to notice my small portion. But I will take it as it comes, just looking forward to seeing this lovely man. After 30 years plus with ex, this really is all new along with new bid, lol! Good luck!

Anniemay, I am in the UK, there are a few things post-op that differ here from the US... but that's what I was told.

Ok, give us some clues - when were you sleeved, what are your weight stats?

When you get the hang of sipping - proper small sips - the gas, burping and pain subsides....

No driving is because of the risk of an accident and the airbags going off into your stomach before it and ur incisions have healed enough to withstand that trauma. You may be a safe driver but you can't guarantee what others do. Good luck with the boredom, lol!

Shawna, how quickly do you eat? How small are your bites? How much do you chew? These are all factors that dictate how much food you can take in a meal. Take it slowly, cut your food into tiny bits and chew well - and when you think you are done chewing, chew a bit more! When I started doing that, I was able to get a decent size portion in and stay satisfied for a few hours. Stick with it, you know what you need to do, remember Protein is the priority so get that in first and if you have room for anything else, eat that. Good luck!

AsImlooznit speaks the truth... The hair loss is a side effect of surgery not lack of protein, biotin etc. If it is going to happen, it will. As it starts to re grow, that's when biotin etc might help and Nioxin and similar will certainly make ur hair look thicker. But if its going to happen, it will. But as with everything else sleeve, this too will pass!!

U r right, every doc has their "personal preferences" so it can seem odd that some of us can eat things earlier than others. But he or she also knows our personal medical histories so if ur doc says six months, that's when u should start trying red meat irrespective of what others are doing. Would it be bad if u ate it earlier - who knows? But why go against ur doc?

Big hug.... Just think that these are 30lbs that you will never have to lose again! Nothing worth having comes easy, that seems especially true of this surgery lol. Hopefully the posts will show u that u r not alone, we are all in this together. Stay strong :-)

This isnt just about skin - you need to start on exercises to tighten up your core muscles - and that might include weights! If you have an instructor at the gym, ask him or her and they will give you exercises that will lift those muscles and help with the muffin top. Might not make it all go away but it will make a real difference if you get your core working :-)

This may not be much consolation but post op you are going to have a period of liquid only - this is good practice! Seriously, hang in there, don't lose the place over a few handfuls of nuts. Just don't repeat it today, tomorrow or any day between now and surgery. You aren't cheating, you are just making things a bit more difficult for yourself when you don't need to. Start tomorrow with a clean slate, put this behind you and good luck. Nothing about this surgery is easy but, 11 weeks out, let me tell you it will be worth all the hassle you are going through now :-)

You will do fine if you ask for advice/help then respect the answer. What upsets a lot of vets is that new sleevers may actually know the answer but are choosing to ignore it! For example "my doc says I should do X but I don't see why..." Am sure you can see why people get irritated if someone isn't listening to the professionals who did the surgery. If your car's brakes were failing, you would go to a garage and if they said don't drive, you wouldn't. Same with your new stomach - if you are given information on what to do, then follow it and life will be easier. That aside, those of us who are sleeved were where you are. I am always happy go offer support and advice as are the majority of others. This is the best thing I have done for myself but it isn't something to undertake lightly or treat casually afterwards. This forum can fill in lots of the gaps when things happen that catch you out or you are unsure about - and you will make friends who know exactly how you feel. So keep an open mind - and best of luck with your surgery, hope it goes really well for you :-)

Planning is the key. I knew what I was going to take in with me by way of food and drink each day - you will be surprised how easy it is to do once you are organised. Even now, 11 weeks out, I still think about what to take in and sit with a 2l bottle of Water on my desk to remind myself to drink! Good luck, you will be fine :-)

My "favourite" thing said to me at the moment is "you must have so much more energy". When pressed, people are really asking can I now do more than I used to be able to as a fatter person, which included running a company, running a home, doing voluntary work, having a social life and dating, a angst other things? Mmmm, no.... I've only lost weight, I haven't managed to fit more hours in my day :-)

If ur surgeon says sip, u should take his advice, he probably has more experience of this surgery than we do :-) At ur stage, everything in ur stomach is numb and healing. Just because u can get all that liquid amd dont feel pain doesn't necessarily mean u r doing the right thing. As the feeling comes back, trust me, the restriction will kick in and u r likely to be in pain if u keep swigging away. U dont feel full just now because u r drinking liquid that doesnt stay long in ur new pouch. Listen to ur doc, give ur stomach a chance to heal. Protein is tougher to get down as u get on to soft foods then solids. Remember, this isn't a sprint, u r in this for the long haul :-)))) Good luck!

You do need Protein to lose weight but I have never had a Protein shake and have lost 40lbs in 10 weeks. From the start, I looked into how I could maximise my protein (including doing things like fortifying my milk etc, picking high value proteins) so that I could eat "normally" from the start - I didn't want to have to wean myself off Protein drinks. Nor did I want to treat my new way of eating as a diet - being sleeved is a way of life and i wanted to start as I meant to go on. And it is working for me.... So I would encourage you to find ways to get protein in, especially if you are now sick of the shakes! It is do-able it just takes thought, effort and a bit of planning. Good luck!!!

Glad to have been of some help - and now you know you aren't the only one eating small pieces! I am 10 weeks out and I was a bit embarrassed about it to begin with when eating in front of other people. But it's what works best for me... And it does seem to help me eat a reasonable amount of food. Very happy to have been sleeved, good to talk someone who's done well over a longer period :-)

Also make sure u r getting all ur fluids in. And don't worry, this will pass :-) Stalls happen with sleeves, just keep doing what u r doing ...

I do eat small pieces of food and chew it to oblivion as per nutritionist's instruction - he said chew it, chew it again and when u think u can't chew it any more, chew it one more time. So I suppose food is going down almost as liquid. I eat at a slow but steady pace. I will pause occasionally and when I eat, I try not to be doing anything to distract me. Otherwise that's when I eat too fast or without chewing enough with painful consequences! Your weight loss is great and u can drink. Wish I has some magic solution to help...

Guilds should have read fluids, lol!!!