VSG_VAL

I am 11 months out and down 1 full size from a 12 to 11. When I've lost weight in the past the lowest show size I went down to was an 11. I can live with that. I've already found more nice shoes at this size than in the past so no complaints.

Hello! I'm new here! I was just sleeved on May 20th in South Jersey. I'm feeling pretty good and excited to start this new part of my life.

Down 40 pounds three sizes down.. I'm so excited .... I was sleeved on 5/20

I put together a "recipe" book from all the old posts on this site, I hope it helps. I have tried a few of these. Among my favorites is the tuna Casserole.
Ricotta Bake
Ricotta cheese
1 egg
Tomato sauce
Mix then top with mozzarella cheese
Bake for 20 minutes on 425
Crab salad
Crab meat
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp onion powder
1T of mayo
3t lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Protein pudding
1 ¼ cup soy milk
1 scoop Protein your choice
1 small box sugar free instant pudding
Tuna Casserole
6 oz. tuna
1 egg
2T Greek yogurt plain
2T cottage cheese
Garlic & Onion powder
Cheddar cheese grated
Blender it all and put in cupcake tin; Top with cheese and bake 20 min at 350
Quiche
1 egg
3 T Ricotta
1 T grated cheese
Mix egg n ricotta top with cheese
Bake 20 mins at 350
Cinnamon Roll Cream Cheese
Low fat cottage cheese
sugar free vanilla Syrup
Cinnamon
Blend then eat
White Beans w/garlic
1/3 c navy Beans
2 t olive oil
1 t minced garlic
2 t balsamic vinegar
2 leaves fresh basil
Blend and eat
Faux Cheesy Potato
½ cup cauliflower steamed till soft
1 t cream cheese
1 T grated parmesan cheese
½ t minced garlic
1 t butter or butter substitute
salt and pepper to taste
Combine and puree
pumpkin Pie Custard
¼ can pure pumpkin 15oz.
¼ c skim milk (or soy milk)
1 eggs
Pinch of salt
½ t vanilla extract
½ t pumpkin spice
¼ t liquid stevia
Blend ingredients then pour into ramekin. Bake 20-30 mins at 350 until knife comes out clean. Set aside and cool, and then chill.
Pumpkin Pie Puree
1 c cottage cheese
3 T pumpkin puree
1 t pumpkin pie spice
1 scoop vanilla protein
1 t sugar free caramel syrup
Blend until smooth.
Apple Pie Puree
1 c cottage cheese
3 T mashed cooked apple
1 t cinnamon
1 scoop vanilla protein
1 t sugar free caramel syrup
Blend until smooth.
General food ideas
pureed canned Soup
Creamed soup
cottage cheese
mashed cauliflower
hummus
fat free refried beans
liverwurst
pate
deviled ham
avocado
applesauce
mashed banana
tuna salad
scrambled eggs
egg salad
sugar free Jello
sugar free pudding

I'm making it by by reminding myself that I will be able to enjoy pretty much anything again in moderation very soon. That these few weeks will be nothing in just a few more.

Sounds like great advice. I'll keep that in mind.

Your body will take 2 years after a maintained/stable weight to draw up what excess skin you may have. Most surgeons recommend waiting to do plastics. Everyone has some degree of floppy skin but some people take care of it by excessive toning and it works.
However, if you think there's ANY chance you would get plastics post op, DOCUMENT EVERYTHING! I know as big ladies and gentlemen we all know the joys of chub run and the easy ways to take care of it at home. But see your PCP every time it happens. If you don't have an extensive record of medically documented issues cause from your skin insurance won't even think of covering plastics. They'll deem it medically unnecessary. See your doctor, dermatologist, and keep your own records with dates and pictures. It's a little tedious, but I'd rather have a file on my computer of records and blubber pics than fork out the thousands out of pocket to get rid of my bat wings and belly apron
And even with excess skin, you can still look fabulous in clothes. Just not so much naked.
And so much of it has to with genes, age, exercise, how long you've been overweight, and how much your skin has had to stretch throughout your life.
Flab happens, but I'll take it as long as I'm healthier. And who knows, maybe one day I'll glide in the wind like a flying squirrel

I am supposed to take 1500 mg a day, split into three 500 mg doses and taken separate from my multivitamin. I've never really been on a daily medication, so I'm struggling to remember it all.

Yes! Well said and congrats on your success!

So there I was ...330 pounds of exhausted, heavy breathing, high blood pressured, diabetic, sleep apnea laden, shell of his former self humanity. I had taken the "normal" way many times, the slippery slope of hundreds of diets, miracle cures, and sure fire programs only to tumble back down in a heap, more unhealthy than before.
My wife began talking to me about weight loss surgery. She had been up that slope as many times as me and fell down with the same result. I was appalled that she would choose such a drastic step, I volunteered to hold a gun at her head at dinner time... in my mind the same as what she proposed. The batting of her big, beautiful eyes melted me down as it always does and I ended up at an "information" meeting held by the surgeon at our local Center of Excellence bariatric hospital.
My steely resistence melted away when I detected the sound of sound science and saw the many results obtained by the patients there. I came away from the meeting sleeve-minded to the shock and delight of my bride.
Now, a year and a half later, I am free of excess fat, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and all that accompanies them. The only heavy breathing I do is when I run up a steep hill with 2 1/2 pound weights on each foot, carrying a 20 pound kettle bell, full speed, 12 times. Even then I am back to normal breathing before I hit the shower back home. This from a guy that used to compare the steps to the upstairs bedroom with Mt. Everest.
So now I feel guity. It was a lot easier to get the operation than suffer with the effects of obesity. It was easier to make an effective intervention than run down a thousand more dead end streets. It was easier to take a chance on life than taking a dirt nap that odds are would have happened by now.
But, you know, guilt can be earned or slapped on you by ignorant people. The same folks that charge you with the high crime of "taking the easy way out" would take the same route in a heartbeat if they weren't such lilly-livered cowards.
So I will file the guilt of "easiness" away in the same folder with the shock belt I bought some years ago that was supposed to melt away fat but succeeded in just making burn marks on my belly; the folder of dumb ideas.

I was just sleeved on May 20th and I have over 200 pounds to loose. I'm telling myself that I can do it and I'll give it all I got.

Fabulous!!!

I was just sleeved on May 20th and I have over 200 pounds to loose. I'm telling myself that I can do it and I'll give it all I got.

I absolutely believe it is possible. The sleeve is an amazing tool when utilized correctly. Before my sleeve I would lose & regain the same 30 pounds over & over. After I got sleeved I dropped that 30 pounds fairly quickly & then hit a stall for 3 weeks. I was terrified that I was doomed to never lose any more. Well, I am now 6 months post op and down 101 pounds!
I still have well over 130 more to lose, but I know that I can do it if I just keep on my plan. If I get in my Protein,drink my Water & get in regular exercise I keep taking off weight. None of us who have been sleeved are perfect, but if you can get into some healthy habits it will definitely come off.
Everyone is different, but I have learned a couple things that have helped me. The first is don't compare yourself to others. There are people who are on the boards who have lost 100 pounds in 3 or 4 months. It took me 6 & others have taken longer than 6 months. This is YOUR journey & will be different from anyone elses. I weigh myself once, maybe twice per week. I was weighing every day & making myself crazy with the daily fluctuations. Realize that you will have stalls. Everyone does. It is just part of the process so, don't lose hope. Ask questions & connect to other people. This can be a very difficult process at times & the more support that you have the better.
The most important thing for me has been learning to accept my journey & learning to be kind to myself. I don't know about you, but it has been very hard for me to learn to put myself first. There are many people like you and me who have a longer journey ahead of us than others. We absolutely CAN do this though!

Hello! I'm new here! I was just sleeved on May 20th in South Jersey. I'm feeling pretty good and excited to start this new part of my life.

Hello! I'm new here! I was just sleeved on May 20th in South Jersey. I'm feeling pretty good and excited to start this new part of my life.

This thread reminds me of a friend of mine who named her GPS system's voice "Horace Vandergelder", after the cranky character from "Hello, Dolly". I think I might use that as a sleeve name, and talk to it with Barbra Streisand's voice.
"Why, Horace Vandergelder, as I live and breathe--how well you look!"
...Sorry, my musical theater geek is showing. *tucks it back in*

I didn't name my sleeve but I named the part of the stomach that they cut out.
I called him "fat bastard" and kicked him to the curb....

Hello! I'm new here! I was sleeved on May 20th in South Jersey.
I had to stay and extra day in the hospital due to nausea. I was happy to get discharged and get out of that hospital bed. For me, the gas pain was way worse then I expected and worse then the actual surgical sites. I'm still burping and can feel gas pockets. I'm really looking forward to getting over that. I have a drain that will be removed on my first checkup appointment this Tuesday. It doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. I am on a clear liquid diet currently as well. The doc should allow me to switch to full liquids at my appointment. I am surprised that I don't really feel hungry. I can feel that my stomach is empty and growling and I think about how I would like to eat, but don't feel that manic drive to need to eat like I've always had. Hallelujah!