Comfy_Blue

I know right. Our thinner friends also become threatened. I think some people are so comfortable with us fat that when we become thin they fear we won't be the same anymore, when what really is happening (at least in my case) is that when I became fat, I became less of who I really was. As I've lost weight, I've been regaining the confidence I once had. Thanks Beeteroo. I promise the attention won't be that bad. I'm just a very shy, naturally self conscious person, so being noticed always makes me feel a little uneasy. As long as the attention isn't malicious (ie: I had a co-worker say kinda nastily to me, "So how much weight have you lost ANYWAY?") then I don't mind it too much. The people who I am around most often (my husband, coworkers and parents) aren't bad because they see me everyday, so my weight loss hasn't been as shocking. Don't get me wrong they do notice and comment, but not excessively. The only time I get tons of attention is when it's someone who hasn't seen me in a long time because their last mental picture of me was so much heavier or if someone meets me and then either hears from someone else that I lost weight or sees an old picture of me. I'm going on a tangent. This isn't about me, but you. You are going to be fine, I promise.

150 lbs still seems so far seems so far away! Anyhow, I'm planning to do something big, maybe dye my hair with light red or blonde streaks. I also want to take some sexy, boudair pictures to surprise my husband (who loved me, cherished and cared for me as much as when I was 250 lbs as he does now). I'd like to buy a few cute sundresses to wear on my family's annual 4th of July beach trip. Just for fun, three "vanity" goals I've already accomplished: 1. Hit ONEderland 2. Get into a sz 16, sz 14, sz 12, then sz 10 jeans 3. Wearing a medium shirt

I am by no means an expert, so please verify any and all advice I give you with a doctor/surgeon should you consider taking it. My Background: I originally wanted to get the lapband, but I was told during my WLS open house (Q & A session) that the band had fallen out of favor and that many people have reported issues of slippage and that many banders complain about frequent re-fillings in the beginning before the surgeon finally finds your band's "sweet spot" (where it's not so tight that you can barely eat, but not so loose that you're eating everything that isn't nailed down) Also, my best friend has the lap band and she hates having to go in for adjustments every 6 - 8 weeks, plus after she lost about 60 lbs (she weighed like 320 lbs and is 5'11) her weight loss slowed and despite all the exercise and dietary options she tried, her weight loss stalled and she's now been prescribed diet pills by her doctor. She is considering having her band revised to a sleeve. So then my choice was between the gastric sleeve and the gastric by pass Why I choose the sleeve: My understanding is that the sleeve was developed for "at risk" gastric bypass candidates. The sleeve was supposed to be the first step to help the person lose weight, then they'd come in later for the gastric bypass/rny. However, what they found is that in addition to being less invasive (thus safer and more preferred) that gastric sleeve patients have virtually no dumping and other surgery-related complications like the by - pass. Plus, my surgeon said I was a good candidate for the sleeve because I did not have hundreds of pounds to lose (I was about 245 lbs, and my goal is 150 - 160 lbs). I'm very happy with my sleeve. I've lost about 70 lbs (though to be fair, I lost about 16 lbs from the liquid diet they put me on 10 days before my surgery and about 54 lbs from the surgery itself)

I'm only four months out, but I understand where you're coming from. You know that it's not that you can't have a lot of your favorite things, you'll just have to have them in moderation, HOWEVER even though we know that, it's still scary and it sucks. What has helped me is that I have been cooking more at home and experimenting with different recipes that are exciting to my taste buds, but lower in calories than my staples (McDonalds, Chipotle, Red Lobster, Applebee's, chinese carryout, Papa John's, etc). My homecooked chicken terriyaki over quinoa is amazing and gives me the sensation and taste of Chinese food without the "I'm hungry 30 minutes later) sensation or headache from the MSG/salt overload. pizza doesn't appeal to me as much because bread swells inside me, so I have to either eat it very slowly and only a little, so it isn't worth it. Also not eating as much junk food makes me feel and look better. Two years ago (when my weight was at it's highest of b/t 245 - 250lbs) I suddenly developed severe, adult acne. I would have 8 - 10 pimples erupting each week on my face and they'd be really sore to the touch and when they finally burst they'd leave dark scars. Then I started having irregular periods (sometimes I'd go 2 - 3 months without one. I'd have all the PMS symptoms, but not bleed.) I also was always sick. I've taught 1st grade for almost seven years, and every month I'd have at least 1 - 2 colds. Once I had a cold that lasted two months. (I think it was really just as soon as I got over one cold, another took it's place). My hair also never grew much longer than to my chin. Now, my face is completely clear and I get maybe 1 pimple close to my period. My periods are monthly and I've only caught 1 cold in the last 4 months. (last week I felt my throat starting to get a little sore, so I went to bed early 2 nights in a row and was completely fine. I never developed a stuffy nose, cough, sneezing, fever, etc) Feeling stronger and looking better are stronger urges in me than to gobble the Utz White Cheddar popcorn, grande lattes, an entire tray of lemon bars, half a pizza, an entire burritio bowl at chipotle, two double cheeseburgers w/bacon and mac sauce, a full sized Crab Alfredo from Reb Lobster and 5 - 8 cheddar biscuits, etc. It wasn't until I was on this side (post opt) that I am able to understand it. My husband (who hasn't had WLS) is still trying to wrap his head around it.

"The Fighter" by Gym Class Heroes. The first part which goes, "Just waking up in the B-Well, to be honest with you I didn't really sleep well" I see myself wide awake the morning of my surgery staring at the ceiling, tears streaming down my face and my thoughts racing as I think about "what if I survived an abusive relationship, two car accidents, pneumonia in both lungs, etc, only to die on the operating table? What if I suffocate during the surgery because they can't get to my apnea machine on time? Why did I let myself get this fat that I need surgery? Is it too late to cancel? If I cancel, will I be able to reschedule or will they forever ban me and think I am mentally unstable? What if it doesn't even work?" The chorus, when it goes, "Until the referee rings the bell, until both your eyes start to swell, until the crowd goes home, what we gonna do ya'll? Give 'em Hell. Turn their heads. Gonna live life till we're dead. Give me scars, give me pain, then they'll say to me, then they'll say to me, there goes the Fighter!" I see myself recovering after the surgery. My husband helping me walk to the bathroom and letting me grasp his arms to lower myself to the seat, then again to pull me back up to my feet. I see laying in bed in pain, my tight sleeve causing severe chest pains every 2 -3 minutes, forcing myself to sip out of 1oz medicine cups when all I want is to sleep, etc. Finally I see me looking in the mirror at my paper stitches, then tears in my eyes as the scale goes from 222, to 210, to 205, to 198lbs and eventually 173 lbs. The next part of the song which goes, "And if I can last thirty rounds, there's no reason you should ever have your head down" I see myself in my new body providing encouragement to my students, family members and friends about various aspects of their lives they feel as down and out about as I did about my weight

I only told my husband, parents and best frienD (who has a lapband). As for my coworkers, I initially said weightwatchers, then I said I started working with a nutritionist to make sure I wasn't getting deficiencies. Closer friends I tell them I have GERD (acid reflux) that makes it hard for my body to handle lots of spicy, fried and other processed foods. I tell them that I follow a low calorie diet(true), eat a lotof Protein (also true) and try to cook my own food to avoid the fat and salt in fast food. It's dishonest but it's also not their business. When I was pre-opt I made a point to eat smaller portion publically and I talked about dieting with coworkers. So far no one was said anything to me about surgery. I guess someday I may be honest, but this is so deeply personal to me that I don't want to hear naysayers ''oh she took the easy way out'' The ''easy''w ay would be a surgery that destroys headr hunger and a body where I could eat as much crap as I want and not gain. I have neither.

I know exactly what you mean. The best way to describe it is like I'm going through a second adolescence. All these wonderful, new changes are happening to my body, but it's taking my mind awhile to adjust and catch up When I was fat, I HATED my body with a passion, but it also felt like armor. No one paid much attention to me, men didn't flirt with me, I wasn't a threat to other women and there was a whole community of people I could connect with over our shared fatness. Now I feel like a fat woman in a thin woman's body. The way people treat me now is so different. Co workers listen to me. Men flirt with me. People are nicer to me at the store. More people try to make conversation and are generally friendlier. Other people who used to be comfortable with me are now standoffish. I also feel a bit vulnerable because my body used to be all warm and snug with lots of padding to keep me cushy and safe. Now I'm cold/cool more often than not and I can see/feel bones emerging that I had forgotten I had like the bone in my wrist, or when I lean to one side, I can feel my rib cage.

I'm not very far out (almost four months) but I haven't noticed any more hair loss than when I was pre-opt. Hopefully it'll remain that way. Anyhow, I take my chewable multi-Vitamin four times a day, 500mg of Calcium (Peanut Butter flavor). I also try to eat a lot of Protein (quinoa with saute'd tomatoes and zucchini is my favorite) and lots of veggies. My nut recommended Biotin, but honestly, I haven't been taking it because I also take Vitamin D, B - 12 and another medication and it's overwhelming

Bellaaa you've seriously made my friday. i'm about to get dressed and head to starbucks to order a short. thanks so much, i've been going for years and never heard of or seen anyone get a short (maybe i thought they were all talls)

About 2 months after my surgery I started taking medication for an unrelated condition, so my doctor gave me teeny, tiny pills which was annoying because I had to take like 5 of them to get the proper dosage because they were so small. Finally after another month, he allowed me to try the regular sized pill to see how I did. I've been taking it about 7 weeks and (*fingers crossed*) so far so good. It's round and white, I guess a little smaller than those white asprin pills I used to see in the clear bottle at Grandma's house. So far, it doesn't bother me. But I can't take it right after food because the quick gulp of Water makes my chest hurt and I feel queasy

I wouldn't go so far as to say I am always cold, but I am a lot more sensitive to the cold. I guess losing my layer of blubber makes it hard for me to keep the heat in. I used to be the type to ride in 40 - 50 degree weather with my window down. Same thing in my classroom and at home. I rarely got cold. Now, at work I've always got on a sweater and I carry two jackets -- a spring one incase it's only a little cold and my winter one for days like yesterday when the high was only 57 degrees and the wind was blowing super hard. At home, I'm always bundled up in what used to be my winter bathrobe, wearing some kind of pants (yoga flannel or sweatpants) with a long sleeved t-shirt. Gone are my days of walking around bare bottomed and in a tank top. Most mornings even under my nice, snuggly comforter, I wake up freezing, whereas my husband will be sweating (which I found out when I leaned in to kiss his sleeping forehead this morning, ) Having a harder time staying warm is probably the only thing I miss about being fat. But I'd rather pile on a few layers of clothes than replace my 70 lbs of lost fat.

Every couple weeks, something weird happens with my weight loss. I'll be losing, losing, losing, then at random, my weight lose will stall and I'll fluctuate between 2 - 3 lbs. Then, it's like my body picks the lower of the fluctuating weights, remains there for several days and suddenly it'll drop and I'll find myself 2 - 3 lbs lighter than my lower weight. For example: All last week I kept fluctuating between 175.3 - 177.8 lbs. I thought i had broken my sleeve. On Sunday night I was 175.3 and my weight stayed there until tonight, when I got on the scale and found that I weigh 173.4. I'm super stoked, but I am trying to figure out what's going on and if it's something I can control. At first I thought it came from being less active (last week was my Spring Break, so I went to New Orleans with girlfriends. When I left home I weighed 175.6. In New Orleans, even though we did A LOT of walking, I also ate a lot of junk, so I don't think the walking helped much. I caught a cold during the trip, so when I returned home Wednesday night I pretty much slept and laid around until I felt better on Friday. When I got on the scale my weight kept fluctuating between 175.3 to 177.8 lbs) HOWEVER, I don't think it's the lack of exercise because during a regular week (during which time I work at a HUGE, two story school and do a lot of walking, plus I stand up all day and walk around my classroom of six year olds) and every couple weeks the exact same thing happens where I fluctuate, then remain stagnant at the same weight day and night and suddenly drop a few. What's up with that?

HOLD THE PHONE. what is this "short" that you speak of? Is it a smaller cup than the tall? Is it cheaper? I always end up throwing out half my coffee because it's not like when I go to other places and I can order a kiddie size. About how big is a short and can you order a vanilla latte or is it only for drip coffee and hot tea?

I'm so glad to hear that! I used Mederma religiously for like the first 2 months, but saw no difference, so eventually I kind of gave up and forgot about it and had gotten to the point where I was just accepting that my scars are now a part of me. I got a deep cut on my arm from a piece of glass once and it's still raised and lighter than my skin. I thought my sleeve scars would be the same. Thank you for giving me hope!

I used to be a tall, 5 pump vanilla latte fiend five days a week. Now I go for a skinny, 2 pump vanilla latte which I only drink 4 - 6 oz of once a week. Then I toss the rest away. At first I felt guilty for wasting the food, but then I realized I would rather waste a little money then drink the extra calories for the sake of a saving a buck.

I had a lot of trouble sleeping in the beginning. I think it's the lower/lack of calories. I had a hard time falling asleep and I would wake up all throughout the night, something that had been a problem for me all throughout my teenage and young adult years (during which time I was at my lowest weights of between 140 - 160lbs). After a few weeks, I was able to sleep again without the use of sleeping pills. I hate sleeping on my back, so I began sleeping on my side with a pillow to support me. Now the main issue I have is that because I am thinner, I don't have as much padding on my body, so sometimes when I am on my side, it feels like my hipbones are poking into the mattress. It's a bizarre sensation that feels like a cross between having my funny bone hit and hurting/aching.

I promise you'll start to feel a little better each week until you get to the point that you're feeling normal (by which I mean you aren't uncomfortable each time you eat). During my first week post - opt, I felt tired all the time and even when I wasn't drinking I kept having this weird pain that would start in my stomach and rise up into my chest. It would feel like pressure and pain, last about 30 seconds, then it would feel like it was thinning out and dissipate. Then a few minutes later it would start again. No matter how much heart burn medication I took, or how slowly I drank, nothing helped. Over time my sleeve stretched a bit and it went away. I also used to have what I believe was a mild form of dumping syndrome. I'd eat the wrong thing and/or not chew it up enough, or even too much of something and I'd be hanging over the side of the bed with a trashcan or the toilet feeling like I needed to vomit with a heaving, queasy stomach and that painful stuck feeling. That lasted 30 - 45 minutes. During that time I had regrets too. But now, nearly 4 months out and 69lbs down, I finally feel normal and I don't regret the surgery. You're going through growing pains as your body and mind are adapting. Please don't give up and you're doing the right thing to come on here for advice, support and venting. Sending positive vibes, thoughts and prayers your way.

Hi Rennae, I live in Maryland and I hear you on the lack of support groups. I think so many of us are in the "closest" about our surgery which is why there just aren't that many groups. The only ones I've found are 1 in Arlington, VA and I hear there's one at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Hopefully someone will start a DMV chapter of Bariatric Pal that we can join

It sounds like you have some body dysmorphia. I started at 245lbs (250lbs at my heaviest) and even though I now weigh about 175 and wear a size 10, often times when I look in the mirror I still see a fat person looking back at me. For awhile when I would take pictures of myself it would help and I could see I am smaller but most recently my girlfriend took a few pictures of me during our Spring Break trip and I thought I looked fat. I have to keep reminding myself that I am/have lost weight and like another poster said, the brain does eventually begin to catch up with the body. I keep a pair of my old sz 18 jeans and a white 1X shirt (which was so tight I had to wear it open like a jacket) in my closest and when I feel like I still look fat, I put them on to remind myself how far I've come. I repeat to my brain while staring at my image, "If you are fat, these clothes would still fit. you are NOT fat anymore, these clothes are super loose. You can't see it but you ARE thinner." It also helps to talk to a counselor/therapist.

I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable. I have seen males post responses about issues regarding pregnancy, sex, and other feminine issues so I thought it was okay. I never intended to be raunchy or insensitive. When I said men would be excited to hear that side effect I really did mean it. I mentioned it to my husband (who is on the fence about WLS) and he got excited because he'd never heard about that side effect since I'm a woman and only talk about how it effects my body. I didn't mean to make u feel disrespected. Again I'm very sorry.

I didn't actually weigh until about 4 days after my operation because I felt sore and was tired. When I got on the scale I was the same weight. Then around the fifth or sixth day I had dropped 5lbs. After that I kept dropping between 2 - 4lbs a week. i'm still dropping now, nearly 3.5 months post opt, but I'm told it will begin to slow down which is a-ok with me as long as I can get into a healthy weight range.

We were sleeved within a month of one another, so I guess my experience is applicable. I've noticed that there are times at work that I can eat my entire lunch comfortably and other times I might eat 1/4 cup instead of 1/2 and feel fine. There are other times that I might eat a couple crackers and not think about eating again. I'm not sure what causes that. I think for me, it depends on my stress level and how busy I am. If I'm really in a hurry, I find that I eat less because I know that it'll take me a good 30 minutes to finish and I need part of that 30 mins to run copies, use the bathroom, grab some materials, tidy my classroom, etc.

WORK IT BGP! Even though you're technically not in ONEderland yet, I think the Century Club (plus 20. WHOOOO!) is even more exclusive and an accomplishment. I can hardly imagine myself a member even though to get to my goal weight I need to fill out my membership card like yesterday. Like Waterboy, WE CAN DO IT!

OMG I felt the same way! It's going to seem to take forever, then one day you'll step on the scale and it'll read 199/198 and it's going to feel amazing. You'll want to take a picture of the scale complete with your toesies. One of my biggest regrets is I lost my cell phone which had all my scale pictures including the day I entered ONEderland. Please print a hard copy so u don't end up like me! You got this chica!

1. I very rarely miss sodas which is saying something because i used to drink at least 2 - 3 per day. 2. I used to love the sauce heavy pasta's at Red Lobster. Now the thought of it makes me feel a little queasy. I prefer the potato Soup, a salad and 1 piece of bread 3. Steak was another favorite that I rarely miss. It doesn't agree with me (hurts my chest, even the soft steak that comes on the McDonald's bagel) so I rarely eat it. In 3 months I think I've had steak like twice. 4. Sandwiches. I don't miss them. I've had 1 Peanut Butter and jelly sandwich in 3.5months. 5. Eating out. I used to eat every meal out most days. Now I'm finding that I prefer home cooking because I can control my portions and make it to fit my tastes. 6. McDonald's was a staple for me. Now the idea ofc a greasy double cheeseburger isn't appealing. I never crave it 7. 5 pump, whole milk vanilla latte every day. Now I have a regular (2 - 3 pump) vanilla latte once every other week. Usually I drink half (4oz) and toss or give to husband 8. Being fat. I thought adjusting to my new body was going to be very hard and I would miss being a sz 18 because that's where I've been so long and was comfortable and accepted it was me. Nope, losing my lbs has been great. I don't miss the fatness.