supbanana

Just a quick update. I had surgery January 23, 2013. I weighed 274 and am 5 ft tall. Now, a little over 8 months out, I've lost 131 pounds and have 18 pounds to go to my goal! I weigh 143 right now. I'm really excited! I'm still not used to being smaller and I really don't see myself as being as small as I am until I see pictures! I feel great and have no health issues anymore! Love my sleeve!
Here's a before/now pic
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Was sleeved July 10th . Best decision of my life . Today is my 28th Birthday and I have never felt healthier . I am down 90 lbs from my heaviest , 70 lbs from my surgery. I finally hit a huge milestone ( for me at least ) the other day of dropping below 300 . That is very hard to post for me because I still have a lot to go and admitting what my weight was is difficult . But change is good . I am so glad I took this journey and continue to work hard each day . Congratulations to everyone else , we are all in this together !!
-Ashley

At my heaviest on the left to current

Here's a funny for you all...

I remember buying them years ago, with the thought... maybe this kid will end up liking yogurt. She does, but no longer the kind with m&m's. She eats low-fat yogurt almost daily. Even if you are fanatical and feed a kid everything healthy, the daycare, school and teachers, church, clubs, everyone else is going to give them stuff that isn't. My father was diagnosed with pre-diabeties when I was 8 or so and we only had healthy stuff in our house. My mother fussed at me for everything I ate. Do you really want another piece of meat? When I started getting allowance it was for my stash of contraband. When I went to other friends houses, I literally binged. I started my first diet at 12 years old to get a trampoline. I was 130, and lost 20 lbs and got the trampoline. I starved myself, and it has been a lifetime of binging and dieting since. When my daughters Dad left she went from being skinny to chunky overnight. I never pushed her toward a diet. She also went on her first diet when she w 11/12 and she lost from 172 to 125 during that summer and now at 17 she is about 150 (she is 5'7). She walks daily. She pushed herself. I hope by working it out on her own she doesn't end up like I did. She's drinking my shakes, she likes trying stuff. She eats a lot of fruit. She also gets what she wants at restaurants, takes a few bites and brings it home and eats on it for the next few days. Now I will say I NUTTED up when she was little about green ketchup, purple ketchup and pink butter. I refused to buy it but the ex bought it and we had a refrigerator full of the crap. That was my pet peeve

Hope my facial hair doesn't get worse if it does im going to have to look into laser treatments for sure. I'm more self conscious of the facial hair than my weight. But hair doesn't affect my health.

judgey wudgy was a bear....how do you know she's "lazy"? Maybe those yogurts were treats. You have no idea what her kids eat every day. You have chosen to make a life change, but that doesn't mean you should go around making judgments about others. Nor does it qualify you to. I honestly do my best to feed my son well. I really hate the thought that if I pick up a treat for him, some self-righteous woman next to me in a supermarket is automatically labeling me a lazy parent. Just a thought.

Fat free 1/2 and 1/2 is a perfect example. My mom started buying it for my dad to put in his coffee. When I went home to visit, I used it too and noticed a slimy film on the bottom of my coffee cup. I looked at the label and saw they replaced the fat with corn Syrup solids. I convinced my mom this was way worse than a little fat, so she's back to the real stuff. No one is happier than my dad!

Why does the partner have to change on your schedule? People will not tackle their health and weight issues until they're good and ready....and not a minute sooner. I don't know about you, but I was overweight for decades....then one day I decided to do something about it. But for many years before, doctors and relatives had been urging me to do something....I just wouldn't....until the day I decided enough was enough.
My wife married me when I was 400lbs and she was running marathons. Thank god she didn't decide I needed to be on her fitness and nutritional plan or we would have never been married.....so no....it's not a problem unless you make it one. JMHO

ME TOO!!! It's frustrating! I actually was talking to a fellow sleever today (she's 2 years post op) about it...ahe said it does get better

What I find ironic is how many sleevers like to complain when someone calls WLS the "easy way out", but then get upset that it isn't just that. Guess what? Your weight will always be a struggle--FOR LIFE!! The pounds won't fall off in a week, and when they're gone it still requires hard work to keep them gone.

I used to wake up crying and unable to move thanks to leg cramps when I first started a low carb diet. Potassium was totally the culprit. I bought lo-salt (half sodium, half potassium) and used it in place of salt and the cramps stopped immediately. I still sleep with a bottle of potassium pills by my bed just in case, those leg cramps are so unbelievably painful.

I drink Coke Zero. Through a straw.

I had heard potassium too.... Just looked it up. Since both potassium and magnesium are minerals they act as electrolytes. Leg cramps can be caused by a deficiency of either one.

Are you on a low carb diet? I got a lot of leg cramps when I was on a low carb diet for a long time (pre-sleeve days). Foods with carbs are the same ones with a lot of potassium, like bananas and potatoes. Could be low potassium. You may want to try to drink something with electrolytes to rehydrate, instead of straight Water. Good luck! Hope you feel better soon!

I would have had to take at least two weeks off just because of how weak and easily tired I was, but other people are ready to hop back in the game after a week or so. I would definitely let your professors know that you'll be having surgery and see if you can work something out with them so your grade doesn't slip if you're like me and need a solid two weeks to rest up.
Also, going to school means you're focused on school, but don't forget to get your liquids in throughout the day! It's easy to forget when you're focused in class but it's so, so important.

I think you guys are very new into this "journey". And likely your mindset will be changing again.
This surgery is not a cure.

Actually, ALL stomache surgeries can lead to dumping syndrome. My mother has an Colostomy and has had many dumping experiences over the years.
There's a lady on u -tube who talks about having dumping syndrome (sleeved) after eating a small Wendy's frosty. And I've heard a few others mention it too. I realize that it's more common with bypass, but unfortunatley sleevers are not exempt. It sounds like a gram or two wont do it though. Thankfully.

This was great! People are funny. My husband died 4 years ago and until now, no one has really said much about me dating. I don't want to, I won't say never, but right now things are fine. BUT now, I am inundated with friends saying, "so I bet you are ready to date now that you are looking hot". A I am not looking hot, and B I could have dated anytime in the last 4 years if that's what I wanted. It's funny to look beneath what they are saying and get to what they are really thinking....but it's all good and just makes me laugh.
This is a marvelous ride we are on!
Any

Okay, best advice I've been given is that what other people think of you has nothing to do with YOU. That's their own Sh*t. A friend who had bypass said do not worry about other people and just do your thing because you will have friends who "side" with you, frIends who disagree with you, and friends who change their mind along the way as they see you changing. I have't quite experienced anything like this and I'm sure thats annoying, as I am only on week 3 post op, but one thing I know for sure is people's self perception has nothing to do with what they look like on the outside. Everyone has issues with their own bodies i.e. some who might be considered "small" may think they are sooo fat, and some "fat" people might be very confident and happy with how they look. My advice for you is have an honest talk with your friend and tell her that her obsessing over your weight, etc is "harshing your mellow", lol. Good luck!

Going forward, I'll be saying I'm 360 months old lol

I was gonna ask about the gallbladder too. When I had my gallbladder attacks I was 7 months pregnant and I felt the same way. I couldn't eat anything heavy, greasy, or oddly enough salads and some other foods triggered the attacks. The pains would last 15-30 minutes or so. i would get nauseous, have sweats almost felt like how I would imagine a heart attack would feel. Pains going through my back and sides. B/c I was pregnant I just had to deal with it. Was your gall bladder checked prior to surgery? Also, I read online when having an attack (if this is the case) some foods that are good to help you feel better are green foods especially cucumbers and a "cabbage soup"

465 10/11/2012 265 today

It has been one year since my surgery. I have lost 135 lbs so far. I would still like to lose another 30. During my first few months, it was this website, the success stories, the advice and yes the more difficult stories that helped me. I have experienced things over the past 6 months that I haven't done in years - concerts, trips and even a boot camp exercise program. I found muscles I didn't even know I had. I do not have one regret about my decision to have the surgery. I am looking forward to life and living it instead of just watching.

Right before surgery

One year later