mrs.petethecat

Fantastic job on the weight loss, keep up the good work!
Congrats on meeting a man, happy to hear the good news.
Tell him that you are conscious of your skin until it catches up to your weight loss. You don't have to go into more detail.
Keep the lights low/off and some clothes on if you're in intimate town. Once he's felt around he'll have to know about the sagging skin and he's either going to be okay or not about it. If he can't deal with it, not your fault. Bring up surgery soon but casually at dinner one night and see what he things about it.
You probably already realize this, but you need to overcome the self-image issues for your sake, not his. Even if a guy rejects you, you have to be able to carry on. The right guy for you will accept you for who you are, faults and all.

Today I pulled my legs up on the couch and......PAINTED MY OWN TOENAILS!!! I wasn't out of breath or forcing my body to turn and get cramps trying to hold my leg in place where I could finally see "most of my toes".
I have lost 70 lbs and being able to paint my own toes by far is my favorite thing so far.
Who's cool???? This cat is!!!!!

I had this happen after gallbladder surgery. I was teaching a class and looked down and my shirt was full of blood. It is very scary and when I called the Dr. they seemed so unconcerned I was really freaked out. When I went to them after school they explained that it needed to work itself out of my body. Whew!

I had a six month approval cycle dictated by my insurance company also, but actually it gave me time to really decide if the sleeved life was really for me. Plus I needed the time to get the upper GI, psych eval, stress test, etc.
Don't know if I was supposed to lose weight during that time, because the closer I got to the surgery, the more I ate. Some people call it "food funerals." I called it the "dead man walking" diet (you know, the "every meal is my last meal" syndrome). Like you, I wondered how I was ever going to go out with friends again, what I was going to do if I couldn't go out a drink beer and inhale chips and salsa.
Since my surgery, where I thought I was going to miss certain foods and eating large portions whenever I wanted, I actually feel free and released from that addiction. I don't miss my old habits, old foods don't taste the same anymore, and I feel so much better now that my diabetes and high blood pressure are under control.
As far as missing the eating and drinking with my friends, I find that I actually enjoy my friends more now that I am not obsessed with the chips and salsa, or the bread basket, or the plates of Pasta. I eat my small portions slowly and can then sit back and talk to friends.
For me, the sleeve is giving me a chance at a normal life. No regrets.
As far as negative reactions of people to the sleeve surgery, maybe I'm just old and bitchy, but I don't really take much crap from anyone. Remember what Ann Landers (or maybe Dear Abby) said, "no one can take advantage of you without your permission." Translate that to "no one can make you feel bad without your permission."
Good luck on your journey! It will be amazing!

Easy way my ass!! Sorry for the language but I became so fed up with that crap about it being the easy way out. I hardly think having more than half your stomach removed, eating less than 800 calories a day and aches and pains to make even the toughest man shed some tears is EASY!! What we did was save our lives and that my friend takes dedication and a strength no one outside of weight loss surgery will experience. The only thing that matters right now is your happiness and health and if they don't want to be on board with your happiness and health, to hell with them. Sorry but I went through the same thing with some people including my girl who couldn't handle the change and left me after 10 years but I love myself and I love that I will live longer and no one is going to take that from me. Good luck in your journey and know that you're not alone and we are here for you :-)

this makes me very sad... It sounds like you settled for less than you wanted out of a relationship because you thought you didn't deserve better because of your looks... If you are with a man who treats you like that, he will treat you like that whether you are fat or skinny.
My husband treats me the same whether I'm skinny or fat, people told me sometimes what a good husband I had because he didn't care about the weight gain and loved me the same? I would think what the hell? so he's a saint for staying with me?
No he is a man who loves his wife and I love him and we made a commitment for life. To be side by side through all of our changes. Me being fat or him losing hair has no bearing on the core relationship.
Please know that you need to stop selling yourself short and you are much more than just your outward appearance.

I tend to agree with the theory that he is threatened by your new body and frame of mind. I understand the unique relationship thing and I think that with the freedom he enjoys the very least he can do is be supportive and encouraging towards you.
So with those thoughts in mind, I would say what an idiot you have on your hands, Good luck to him in finding a woman he does "like" that will allow him the same freedoms he has now.
I'm am so sorry you are having to deal with this BS. If it were me I would do this:
Tell him he just had his last chance at making you feel bad and the next tine the moron opens his stupid-a$$ mouth he can go find himself a "hot chick" to live with. And in the meantime I would really hope that the hot chicks can fulfill any needs he may have because I sure wouldn't be doing it. There;s plenty of hot guys around too. Perhaps one of them would like the opportunity to make you feel a little better:)

Sounds like y'all had relationship problems before the surgery so naturally those won't go away. I wonder If you were ever 'okay' with this 'unique' relationship or if you did how a lot of women do and put up with it or convince yourself you're happy bc you don't think you deserve more.
If he does not feel attracted to you now that you are losing weight an probably feeling more attractive, maybe he is threatened by your newfound confidence and swagger.
I hate to say this and maybe this is just my warped opinion, but I think women can fall into a controlling relationship when they are overweight and certain men can use those 'fat insecurities' we have to get what they want (ie a 'unique' relationship).
Just my two cents and it may be I think this way bc I had a controlling boyfriend as well who I now realize loved me as far as he could throw me... And I was over two hundred pounds so not very far!
Good luck to you. I say do you and nurture your own happiness outside of the relationship. You change and he will be forced to.

Step away from the scale. You'll make yourself nuts. Just concentrate on getting in your Protein and Water. The weight will take care of itself.
If you want to gauge your progress, go try on your clothes. To me, when something that was formerly tight is now hanging off me, that's more important than what the fickle, lying scale says.

Hi everyone - Hope this gives you a little laugh, or at least a smirk. First a quick bio - I'm a newbie, hoping to talk my husband into agreeing to my much needed VSG. He's not against the surgery, just the cost as our INS (Aetna) doesn't cover it. We're on a serious "paying down debt" deal right now which is great of course but kind of counter-productive to my evil scheme of persuading DH to part with thousands. But I WILL win !!
Anyway, here's what happened yesterday. I was reading our local paper and saw a big ad for a hospital that was beginning a physician assisted weight loss program. My interest was piqued so I called. A young girl (receptionist - sounded skinny !!) answered and I asked her to tell me all about it. She said it's $275.00 initially, then the cost of lab work etc. then the cost of Vitamins, supplements, yada yada yada. So far all I had gotten was costs - no information, so I stopped her and said, tell me exactly what this program is ? she said well the doctor weighs you, determines your BMI, takes your measurements and then calculates the amount of weight you must lose and then he puts together an eating program for you to achieve your ideal weight.
I heard myself say to her "And you think I don't already know all that" ? I mean seriously ???? - speaking for myself here, I could author a book on what to eat and what NOT to eat, what exercise I SHOULD be doing and what my goal weight should be. Holy cow, I could be on TV as a world authority (along with several million of my overweight friends) who have tried every diet, fad, exercise craze, pill, powder, potion and "As Seen On TV" wonder.
Anyway, that's my vent - hows your day going !!

So, I had my 3 week update. My doc was happy with my progress, 15 lbs. lost in 3 weeks. I was initially bummed due to expecting more loss since I have stayed on this program 100%. But it did confirm that even with major calorie restriction, it is very hard for me to lose weight and validated that I needed help with the sleeve for sure. My doc said that WLS can't advertise more than 1/2 lbs. a day loss and that I had lost 3/4 lbs. a day and that was good. I will stay on shakes another two weeks. Don't love 'em, but will stay on them for as long as it takes to get the weight off. I have had weakness for some weeks and terrible breath due to keytosis. He said to push through the weakness daily and work out still. This was described to me as Hibernation Syndrome (your body reacts to a smaller amount of food in which you feel tired, lethargic and often depressed and occurs 2 to 4 weeks after surgery). He was happy to hear about the keytosis, which means that my fat cell are being eaten up and that could last a while, around 4 mos. I was also told to take specific Vitamins which are 2 mutivitamins, calcium citrate 1000-1600mg per day, Iron, and B12. I think I was even more fatiqued also since I quit my diet soda addiction of over 30 years before surgery. I missed the caffeine. But 2 days ago I started drinking Ice tea. This gave me the caffeine I miss and need to get my grove on again and work out more. This visit definitely made me set realistic goals to be successful throughout this long road ahead. I have adjusted my brain to this information and will be patient with my self and program my life for success. I hope this info. is helpful to others who need to straighten out some of the confusion they may have in any of these areas. Much success to you as well.

I want to do a zip line! Not sure where, but somewhere tropical would be great.

I was scared from day one. I knew this was the best thing for me. I prepared with education and over 8 months worth of classes. Still I didn't feel prepared. So many people had so many different stories. Although I knew about the procedure, I was scared about how it would affect me. My unknown future. I remember thinking, am I crazy to do an elective surgery. But deep down I knew I wanted to be healthier. All other efforts in weight loss led me to high blood pressure, sleep apnea, ankle and leg swelling, increase in medications, and the list does on. In classes, I would hear stories of how people have suffered with a decrease in the quality of life all due to obesity. I was headed in the same direction. I knew I needed the surgery or face a diminishing life style. So I would not let myself become discourage and chicken out. Even while in pre-op surgery waiting room, I was experiencing so many emotions. But I did it. It was the hardest but best decision I ever made.
Dr. Yadegar's team including himself held my hand throughout the procedure until I went home. Even then they made phone calls to check on me. I can honestly say, I experienced no pain what so ever throughout the entire hospital stay. 2 hours after arriving in my room after surgery I was up walking the halls. In fact, on waking up in recovery, I didn't believe I had surgery. Except in surgery, I was always surrounded by familiar faces. I was told everything to expect in advance and there were no surprises. The energy after surgery was almost scary. The most difficult part of the entire hospital stay was trying to drink enough Water and getting the excess air out of my stomach. The answer to both of these problems were to walk. By day 3 I was walking over a mile within the hospital.
On arrival home, I soon became sick of the Protein Shakes. Besides it was so difficult getting enough Protein via shakes and drinking the required amount of water. Honestly I just did the best I could and continued to push it as much as possible. I wasn't hungry and just small amounts made me full. I walked my first morning home and have advanced to over 3 miles a day. Within the first 2 weeks I lost 30 pounds. I have been on a plateau for a week although I am losing inches. I started eating food. Never puréed but real food. No problems or issues although after a few bites I'm full. The reduction in food does take some adjustment.
I continue to read the forums. I will be happy when this plateau ends and I start losing again. I eat nothing like I used to. Before surgery I made comments about never being able to not drink during meals or chewing my food so well. These things came almost natural. I have no problem waiting 30 minutes before and after meals to drink liquid. And I noticed that I chew my food extremely well. If I can be a source of encouragement to pre-sleevers, I want everyone to know I was a bundle of nerves and I educated and prepared myself very well.yet, no one can predict what will happen in your circumstances. But if you follow all instructions given by your doctor, your surgery will be a success. Within 3 weeks I am off all blood pressure medications including the diuretic. My only issue now is looking for things to drink besides water and crystal lite. I am learning to live with my new stomach and finally feel that I have some control. Control of my eating and control of my life. I now have real solutions to my weight problem and I know it will be defeated.

I want to do a zip line! Not sure where, but somewhere tropical would be great.

I think it is important for us to recognize our own patterns of denial. for me it was the scale. When i stop weighing myself, I am gaining weight. The scale keeps me accountable. I come back from a long camping weekend of much merriment and feeling like i ate too much, only to have a loss and I realize that I matched my food to my activity because crap, I rode horses 5 hours a day, went on a steep hike, pushed wheelbarrows of manure, carried firewood and Water while still eating mostly low carb. - I guess that extra snack of trailmix didn't put me back at 300# now did it? The scale keeps it real for me.
I permit myself to stay within a 2# range and when I get above that, I adjust course. This is so far working but I am not saying it is for everyone.

I track my weight... not my food.
For me, food tracking and calorie counting is a remnant of my professional dieting days. I do believe in tracking, and it has been an effective tool for me but since I am not likely to do it for life, I moved to a more natural way of monitoring my food even during the weight loss phase.

Hello everyone I've been a follower to this site for over 4 months I was sleeved 3/20/2013 on my birthday and it was the best gift to myself in 2011 I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl giving me a total of 3 beautiful children 19,15 & now a 2 year old after tipping the scale at an all time high for myself 313lbs I decided it was time for me to make a choice life or death no health issues other than being obese but that was enough I lost my mother early she was only 54 to a heart attack do to being overweight n I almost lost my father last year to a heart attack I knew rite at that very moment I had to change my life if I wanted to be around with my family so when my doctor suggested the sleeve I didn't think twice about having it done 60 days later I began my journey now I want to share with my sleeve family my results after 31/2 months I went from a size 26 to a 16 pants a 3x to xl shirt I haven't seen these sizes since I was 16 years old lol
Start297
Surgery286
Current224
I have lost a total of 73lbs with 67lbs more to go I have passed my half way mark so I will continue to push until I get there n maintain it thanks for taking the time to read my story and last but not least updated pics

I couldn't do this without the sleeve and sleeve can not do this without me! But working together we are going to kick 'fats' ass!

Well said. I'm with you, sister! I didn't get sleeved to do what I did before. I got the sleeve to help me, but I have to make the real changes!!!

I am 6 days post-op and feeling pretty good. But the more I read the more it amazes me how badly people want to get back to old habits. The questions of 'when can I eat this again', and 'when can I have that' seem to be posted by the hundreds. I have to say I am in NO hurry to eat again. I don't want to visit 'Starbucks' or my local 'bar' as that is partially what put me in this position. Please don't take this the wrong way, I know some of you are just trying to get a feel for what is to come and when you can start doing some things. I just want to reiterate that this surgery is a tool and changes are desperately needed to be successful! Now is the perfect time to make those changes. Bring on the broth!

1. Wife won't leave me alone now!
2. Rarely watch tv anymore. I always want to go outside and do something.
3. Getting comments literally daily about how great I look now.
4. Saving money because I'm biking to work now instead of driving. It's 20 miles round trip and at 12 mpg, it's saving me $6 each day.
5. I fit into movie theater and airline seats and restaurant booths now without having to shoehorn my fat into them. It's fantastic!

You are right on time for the initial (third week on average) stall - here is a great article describing what's happening right now:
http://www.dsfacts.com/weight-loss-stall-or-plateau.html
You will note in there that between the glycogen and the Water that keeps it in solution in our bodies that there is around ten pounds (eight from Water, ) in play from just this mechanism alone. Add to this other things that affect water retention such as TOM/hormones, changes in sodium intake or exercise/activity patterns and you have the making for a bumpy ride on the way down the scale. So, keep to your plan and enjoy the ride; just don't fret so much on daily (or even weekly) aberrations in scale weight.

So what did the hospital say it was.....I had this reaction after taking a tylenol with cod #4. But i passed out also.
The one think I noticed is that you are not mindful of what you are eating......
This is the time you need to take advantage of the sleeve and eat high Protein with no junk food. Lucky Charms is junk food and it has no nutritional value. pop corn can get stuck in your staple line because your still healing. Carbonation is really hard on your stomach. Give your stomach a rest today by drinking Protein Shakes and eating Soup if you can. This is a whole new life style and it's hard to make all the changes needed to be successful. This is JMO and I have no judgements here. These are your choices and I hope you make better ones in the future.

So im 9monhs post-op had my surgery Oct-9.2012. ive lost a total of 113lbs...feels great....but I found out today that I'M PREGNANT! I thought this would never happen to me due to fertility problems....I know its been only 9months but this surgery has made one of my DREAMS come true and im so happy to start my own family with my husband!

I like Chike Iced coffee flavored Protein Shakes. Great for Breakfast if you like cold drinks at breakfast. http://www.chikenutrition.com/