Comfy_Blue

I'm at my half way mark! Sixths today of this Life Style Change! From 311+ pounds down to 233 pounds!!

Yup, I know exactly what you mean. Sex was difficult for me because whenever I'd get on top, within a couple minutes my knees would be killing me (I guess the pressure of my weight combined with having sore knees already from hailing around so much weight during the day)
I also am happier being sexual because I have less smelly crevices(I know, TMI!) but while I obviously don't always smell like a rose, I find that my genitals, arm pits and my body in general just doesn't get as stinky as they used to. My feet also smell better. I think I'm not sweating as much because it's easier to move around.

I dyed my hair 3 months out at home. I use a semi permanent color that washes out in 28 shampoos. No Hair loss, even from the weight loss. The semi perm color I use makes my hair feel luxurious and doesn't dry it out at all.

I guess the email has been taken down because I don't see it. However, I take what people say on internet forums with a grain of salt because it's so easy to BS someone when you're anonymous behind a screen. For all you know, that person may not have even had WLS and they're just bored and/or want attention, so they opted to troll.
I was sleeved 6 months ago and the only time I feel sick are when I do stupid stuff that I know I shouldn't be doing. Like two days out of the hospital, I wasn't taking my prilosec, so I had severe heart burn that made drinking even Water unbearably painful. So I barely drunk which resulted in me getting dehydrated and feeling weak. Once I started taking my meds, I felt much better.
I also went to a holiday party about 3 weeks post-opt and wanting to hide the fact that I couldn't eat solid foods, I tried to do the "chew and spit" with some super spicy chicken and I swallowed a little bit by mistake and was in agony for about 15 minutes.
Most recently I let myself get really hungry (should've known better!) and begged DH to stop at McDonald's. I took HUGE bites (the way I used to pre-opt) of a double cheese burger with Mac Sauce & bacon (another no no!) and shoved several fries into my mouth hardly chewing.
All of a sudden, I felt like I needed to vomit and I could feel the food sitting in my chest and I had tightness and pain in my chest. I wanted to throw up, but all that I felt was foam rising up in the back of my throat.
I take responsibility for those mistakes, and try to do better. Everyone isn't like that. For some people, it's easier to lie and pretend they're doing everything right and it's just the sleeve that's wrong.

Thanks Lil. Maybe I'll hold out until school starts back. Ya know, new year, new hair do (plus that'll put me closer to the 1 year mark)

I think we all have those stubborn areas. For me, my arms still look pretty fat and even though my waist has gotten much smaller, I still have a pouch below my navel. In some ways, that pouch is worse now that I'm thinner because with the top of my waist (like from under my breasts to right above my navel) being so tiny, my pouch sits out like a baby bump.

I think dying hair is damaging to the cuticles and ends so if you're really worried then wait a little longer. That said, I have dyed my hair several months post op and I don't think it made my Hair loss any worse than if I hadn't dyed my hair. Good luck.

For now, my will power is very strong and I'm hoping it remains that way. I don't blame my wife for my poor choices in the past. In fact I've probably been a bad influence on her in the past.
Still, watching her eat the fried stuff and ribs and the ice cream afterward disgusted me but tried to keep it to myself. When I was very large she wasn't shy about pointing out all of my bad habits ...
Still confused ...

I am 6.5 months out and close to goal. While my wife has been extremely supportive from the beginning I've noticed that her food choices seem to be getting worse recently. She's only about 25 pounds overweight but is ordering deep fried stuff and ribs when we go out and then gets full sugar ice cream afterward.
I'm still in the honeymoon phase and am very concerned about maintaining my losses longer term. I know that I'll need to rely on healthy food choices longer term and was hoping she'd be on board with it too. She has type 2 diabetes and has not controlled it well.
I'm afraid to bring it up because both she and my daughter (also overweight but supportive ) are quick to point out that I had 85% of my stomach removed.
Any suggestions ?

Yup, I know exactly what you mean. Sex was difficult for me because whenever I'd get on top, within a couple minutes my knees would be killing me (I guess the pressure of my weight combined with having sore knees already from hailing around so much weight during the day)
I also am happier being sexual because I have less smelly crevices(I know, TMI!) but while I obviously don't always smell like a rose, I find that my genitals, arm pits and my body in general just doesn't get as stinky as they used to. My feet also smell better. I think I'm not sweating as much because it's easier to move around.

i ate some rice pudding yesterday (90cal, 5g) and felt fine but have opted to not have anymore because it has carbs and i am in my losing phase right now.
i've been looking for substitutes because i love Pasta and rice and i don't know if i can help myself with them.
if u google ''cauliflower rice'' you'll find a recipe. i haven't tried it yet b/c i am still on full liquids but it looks good and some of the comments i read under the recipe said that when u cook it w/other stuff like gen tso chicken or beef and salsa it gives u the same feel and taste of rice.
as for Pasta. i found a recipe for zucchini fettucine w/a creamy squash sauce that looks good. nice and cheesy. same for zucchini lasagna

I agree with the other posters. I know you love your husband and he probably doesn't act like this all the time and when he's being "good" to you, those times are great, but the times he is being bad to you (like at dinner) are awful. He sounds verbally and emotionally abusive. I don't know your entire situation or you personally, but i have been through this before with my now ex fiancé.
When i became a teacher, I was so proud of myself and when my first check came in the mail, i jokingly said to him "I'm rich!" (Now keep in mind this was a HUGE accomplishment for me because i had had a very hard time finding a job and was unemployed for almost a year and had to depend on "hand outs" from him, which I realize now he enjoyed because it made me beneath him in his mind and gave him control over me)
He immediately laid into me saying i was "only" a teacher and at the bottom if the pay scale compared to other professions and i wouldn't feel so rich in ten years or so when he and everyone else not in my profession were making double or even triple my salary. Then he started dissecting my check and said "by the time you pay a, b, c, d and e, you're not going to have ANY thing left" and laughed nastily.
Like you, i was hurt and tried not to cry. When I came back later to speak to him about it, he got defensive and said i "just wanted something to be upset about" and he wasn't going to apologize for "telling me like it is".
Hence why he is my ex.
I would highly recommend you guys seek counseling to see if you can salvage your relationship.

Some people forget that they were right where we are at some point in their journey....it's called the beginning! Somehow some seem to forget that. Remember for every bully there is a nice guy :-). I won't let the bullies silence me so I just disregard them and move on. This is your journey! Don't let anyone silence you and don't run from some great support on here. Maybe seek a few of those people out and friend them.
Good luck!

Just to let you Bariatric Bullies know--when someone posts a question here it is because they truly don't know or want constructive criticism! Not to be laughed at or made fun of or be answered condisendingly! Some of us know more than others and that's why we are here! You are not supposed to be a BULLY about it! I for one have been talked down to and literally laughed at for my question about protein!! I was new an knew very little about it and thought I was safe to ask anything here! BOY WAS I WRONG!!! There a quite a few Bariatric Bullies here! Grow up and be an adult already! I wondered why children bully and now I see its adults as well! =

What happened? Tell your story and probably someone can relate and help you with how they handled it. We had no problems but we all know there are risks. I hope things get better each day for you. Here's a hug, Linda

I would just leave it alone. I'm sure that at some point it may come up in casual conversation and you can choose to talk about it. Why make your weight, whatever it is the focus of you? I'm sure you are a wonderful, brave person with so much more interesting things about you than your weight.
Congrats on your new endeavor!

I am in a similar situation as I will be changing jobs in August. I personally am torn when it comes to this subject. One one hand it would be nice to enter a new work world, with new work people who have no idea my experiences/struggles with obesity. The other side of that coin is the fact that knowing how it is to struggle and dream about being healthy, active, and most importantly at peace (well I'm still working on this one) with my body, I want to share so I can help others who might be successful with the sleeve.
I will look for updates on this subject to see what others have experienced in similar situations. Good luck in getting your new job and best wishes for continued success with your healthy life!

I also want to change my job location due to the new transformation I will be embarking on. I've lost about 15 pounds now and my coworkers are noticing so I constantly hear "oh your loosing weight". So I know later it will get more irritating. Most importantly I don't want to share what I've done being that they are always asking now.
My advice to you is go for it. New beginnings!

So I was contacted by a principal from a different school for an interview at his school and as I've been weighing the pros and cons of leaving my current job, one pro that came up is that if I transferred to a different school none of my new co-workers would have been "there" during my weight loss transformation, so I wouldn't have people commenting/asking questions/drawing attention to my size anymore.
To my new co-workers, I'd just be a naturally trim person, not a former fat person, so there'd be nothing to "see" and oogle. Then I started thinking about as I meet new people in my life, do I plan to reveal or talk about my former self, or will I "pass" as if I'm just a healthy person who watches what she eats and exercises 3 times a week?
What do you all do? I feel like as time goes on and the "newness" of being thin wears off, I will probably tell less and less people about when I was obese because I'll feel so far removed from that person.

Comfy, I had surgery the month before you and discovered yesterday that I am pg. We used birth control consistently, but its not 100% effective, clearly! The only times I've been pregnant in the past were when we actively tried, but I think this weight loss made me more fertile! So do be on guard if you're not using birth control. There is an entire forum dedicated to sleeve pregnancy and I just started reading it yesterday and I feel encouraged. Women seem to do very well with their pregnancies after sleeving, even if its earlier than planned. I do plan to increase my calories, and journal all my food so the docs can review it. Best wishes!

I was a year out when I found out I was preggo. I'd lost 120lbs, still had about 35 I wanted to lose. I got preggo, stopped all diet/artificial sugars, replaced my turkey stuff with "real" red meats, and lost 10lbs my first trimester! Not due to nausea or vomiting, just increased metabolism. Then I had the stomach flu during my 2nd adn lost another 5lbs (whoops) docs weren't worried. I'm 36w now and due soon - and I'm still 5lbs less than where I was when I started this pregnancy! I am thinking once I push this baby out, estimated 7lbs, plus the Water, the placenta,.... I'll be down another 10lbs probably. I'm feeling pretty good about that!

honestly, I ate what I wanted this pregnancy. I listened to my body, ate what I craved!
So, this sleeve has been great for my pregnancy! Baby is healthy, I am healthy!

I was at the same place as you . I had my son 5/1- I gained a whopping 1lb while pregnant( lost 15). I got pregnant weighing 149-150, I weigh 131 now

Sorry to be so blunt, but I am still in the losing phase (about 5 months out) and I was wondering what would happen adter a pregnancy. Does the sleeve stop working? Like now, i feel restriction and i have lost 76 lbs. if i get oregnant down the road am i going to go back to 245lbs and not be able to lose again? I want to start trying with my husband at the year mark but I am also very afraid i won't lose the weight or after having the baby my sleeve will somehow have stretched out and not work anymore. I've come so far! I want a baby but don't want to go back!

Hi Fred,
I think you're very brave to come back to BP and admit a very personal part of your struggle. I think we're all lucky that this is the type of website where people aren't holier than thou and won't flank you for making a mistake. I feel the first step in correcting a wrong is acknowledging it, which you've done by posting, so check! The next step is finding a support network because maintaining my weight is the hardest thing I've ever done, so check! Now all that's left is evaluating where you went wrong and what you're going to do to make it right.
I know you can do it. I'm hardly an expert nor a veteran, but there's plenty of both on here that can help you out with getting back on track.

The Pros -
1. I love my new body and the confidence it gives me.
2. It feels so good to be able to fit into (most) medium sized shirts (compared to XXL and some XXXL's) and a loose sz 14 jeans (compared to a tight 18, a snug 20 and a comfortable 22)
3. I lowered my cholesterol and blood pressure!
4. I haven't been back for a sleep study, but my sleep apnea seems to have dissipated. I'm no longer groggy in the morning and husband says I stopped snoring.
5. I've stopped hiding from cameras and floor length mirrors because the image doesn't make me sad anymore
6. My watches and bracelets aren't so tight they leave marks on my arms anymore.
7. I no longer feel self conscious because I know I'm the heaviest or one of the heaviest women in the room
8. I have a glow about me
I NEVER EVER though I would ever lose weight (I believed I would be that .1% the surgery didn't work for) but seeing myself be disciplined enough to do the Clear liquids pre-opt diet, follow each stage of my post-opt diet, then lose nearly 60lbs between October 2013 - March 2014 has inspired me to take control of other areas in my life such as:
1. Grad School: After 7 years of putting it off, I finally enrolled in graduate school and begin next month.
2. Therapy: I started going to therapy to get to the root of why I was eating so much. It's only been two months, but I am happier, more upbeat, less tired and my patience level is improving.
3.Clothes: I've started dressing better (not necessarily sexier, but instead of throwing on jeans and a t-shirt, I take my time to color coordinate and wear more stylish clothing).
4. Better hair style: I also have started doing my hair differently (when I was heavier, I wore my hair bone straight to try and make my face look smaller. Now, 60lbs down, I'm able to wear my hair in it's natural curly state because my face has thinned out and is more oval)
The Cons:
1. Every once in awhile I miss stuffing myself with food. I didn't know I was suffering from depression at the time, so food gave me comfort. It made me feel loved, safe, satisfied, etc.
2. Sometimes I resent my husband (I think it's a little twinge of jealously) when I see him piling his plate high with food and I've got a little, teeny, tiny dessert plate of food that I'm only able to eat half of
3. My surgeon said I need to wait 18 - 24 months to get pregnant (I turn 30 in a few months and would like to have had a baby sooner)
4. Sometimes I feel guilty, especially when I see other friends, family and coworkers struggling with their weight. Like the other day at Macy's my mom was complaining about her weight and how some of the clothes she liked didn't fit. I used to be able to commiserate with her.