fancypants67

Hola peeps! I'm wondering if after you've lost your weight, or at sometime during the process, did you lose your double chin? If so, what was the skin like on your neck? Did anyones spring back? It's looking a little saggy to me, and although the weight loss is worth it, i'm becoming extremely self concious of it. I'm hoping as i continue to lose, that chin fat will continue to go away too...any thoughts?

What is it that hurts so much? the incisions? gas pain?

Whatever you are doing it looks as if you are doing the right thing because girl you look awesome!!

148-152 and you recently started working out? sounds like a) you are holding onto Water because your muscles are repairing themselves from the exercise or you are BUILDING more muscle which weighs more than fat. Just keep on track and STAY OFF THE scale. At least for a while. The scale messes your brain up.

Ok...so I'm only 4 months out, but I'm doing FABULOUS! I've been super lucky with no complications and an easy recovery. My questions relate to 1) hair Loss....how long did you go thru it cuz mine is really falling out quite a bit! and 2) how about your scars? mine are still VERY red. How long until the redness goes away? I've been putting Neosporin on them, hope that helps but we will see! Thanks for your input. :-)

Thank you all!! Ima gettin' some of that Bio Oil...sounds good. I'm whitey mcwhiterton...so on me, the scars are REALLY still pretty red. It's weird, but i'm actually getting self concious about it!

Very true! Every person IS different though. For example, I read the stories on here about the pain and problems and nausea people have 2, 3, 4 even 6 months out...i experienced NONE of that. Like this surgery and recovery, to me, has been EASY and at times it's difficult for me to wrap my head around all the problems that I read on here. I signed up for this site YEARS before I had the surgery...and at one point i almost chickened out because of the horror stories. I'm so glad I didn't and wish I had done it YEARS ago. Sure, learning the sleeve is an adjustment...and I had ONE time where I ate then drank too much Water right after and puked, but i LEARNED A LESSON. Now i know i can't and WON'T do that ever again! I'm 4 months out...I have red wine from time to time. Big deal. I get hammered now after ONE glass, so it's not like I'm drinking a bottle (and it takes me nearly 45 minutes to drink it) but it's ALL about moderation. This sleeve has helped me FINALLY develop will power and self control with food that i struggled with for so long.

Me. I don't count them anymore. I don't feel the need since surgery because I don't eat much and the weight is certainly coming off....I'm just going with the flow because I know I am no longer overeating. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

I did the "food funeral" thing. I don't regret it, but now that I am 4 months post op, I see it wasn't REALLY necessary because like LipstickLady said, you can still have that stuff, you are just eating a small, small amount of it. Before I would would EASILY eat a dozen chicken wings...now I can eat FOUR. So I can still eat the foods I love, but the quantity is practically nothing. Now with that being said, my relationship with food may be COMPLETELY different than other peoples. My biggest issue was portion control, and that is exactly what this surgery has finally given me. I don't eat tons of junk...I ALWAYS eat the Protein first, but i do STILL occassionally have a bite or two of cake...but that's literally all i can have. The horrible feeling of overeating with the sleeve WAY outweighs the pleasure I get from eating the food, so i know when to stop now. At times I miss the "overeating"...not gonna lie. But again, like LipstickLady said, being able to wear jeans, boots and heels again WAY outweighs that!!

I had the Sleeve Surgery with Dr. Ilan on August 23rd, i'm down about 50 lbs in 4 months and I'm ALMOST to onederland!!!! Not only was the care by the staff and nurses excellent...i actually had FUN there! I only live about 3 hours away from Tijuana...when I reach my goal (hopefully by summer), I want to go back and see everyone again and thank them for changing and greatly improving my life!!

I went thru BariatricPal Team MX in Tijuana. Dr. Ilan did my surgery on Aug 23rd of last year...my ONLY regret is that i waited so long to do it! The service was wonderful and I cannot recommend it enough...I really do wish I had done it years ago and didn't waste so much time with my insurance jerking me around. Do it.

I cant do it...took a swig of a Diet Coke and it made me SO uncomfortable!! Never again. I have had one or two carbonated waters, but i wait until the fizz goes pretty flat. My thing now (post surgery 4 months out) is that i like my drinks to be ICE COLD. whatever it is...practically frozen. it's really weird.

i have had carbonated Water to drink, but i have to wait for it to "flatten" also. I took a swig of a Diet Coke last week (I'm 4 months out) and seriously thought I was gonna die. OMG! it was SOOOO painful and uncomfortable. Lesson learned there big time. Beer is also no longer my friend anymore (big frownie face), but i HAVE had Cider or Redds Apple Ale with no horrible effects...it just takes me forever to drink one.

To begin with, I am 2 months post op and have had a great recovery. I am one of those people that RARELY get on a scale because I know I will obsess and pretzel brain twist over the number. I don't even own a scale to be honest. Anyway, my husband and I were going to dinner last night...and instead of wearing my usual black stretchy Pallazo Pants or Yoga Pants that I desperately attempt to dress up...I decided to try an old pair of jeans on in order to "gauge" where I am (I have a closet FULL of my "thin" clothes that I could just never get rid of). Much to my amazement, the jeans FIT! They were a size 14...but they fit! And not like "busted can of biscuits" fit, but actually FIT. My ultimate goal is my size 8's that are also collecting dust in there...but dang this was a start! I haven't worn those jeans in over 5 years. I haven't worn ANY jeans in over 5 years. Once I outgrew those...I threw in the towel and gave up. What great motivation....I cried.

BACK AT YOU!!! that is AWESOME!!! good for you!!

I had mine on Aug 23rd. I'm guessing i'm down about 40lbs. I have been blessed to have had an extremely EASY recovery. I'm pretty much back to eating normal foods, no issues with keeping solids down, although last night i ate and then chugged about a 1/4 cup of my Water and THAT was NOT good. lesson learned BIG TIME. I felt sick to my stomach and ended up puking a bit...now i get what people mean by the "slime". rest assured THAT will never happen AGAIN. gross. The thing that i struggle most with is eating slow. I come from a long line of lightning fast eaters, and for me, that is probably the hardest habit that i'm having trouble breaking.

There is a website called bariatriceating.com I bought some Protein powder from them and it was DELISH! it's a tad on the pricey side, but honestly, I have never bought such a smooth and easy mixing powder. I mixed it with Almond Milk (you can do Water if you want) and literally just stirred it with a spoon and it COMPLETELY dissolved. The Pumpkin Pie flavor was AMAZING.

Mine have. I don't like things that are super sweet anymore...used to love it, but now it doesn't appeal to me. The biggest thing I noticed is when I drink liquids, they HAVE to be ICE COLD. anything room temp is gross.

I am 2 months post op from surgery with Dr. Illan. Was the BEST decision I have ever made in my life. I'm like a different person now. I'm so happy and yesterday I actually FIT into a pair of my old jeans. I literally cried as I haven't worn jeans in over 5 years. The care was amazing and the surgery and recovery has been a breeze!! Back to work 1 week post op (desk job) and now I'm getting back into the gym. I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend looking into Bariatric Pal MX to anyone who has been repeatedly denied by their insurance...just DO it!

So yesterday was HORRIBLE. I had my first major setback since my surgery on 08/23. I found out yesterday my father, who told me he had "a little cancer on his tongue" actually has stage 4 cancer in his lymph nodes and he is NOT doing well. He lives in New York and I live in California...so being there for him is difficult. I AM going back next week to see him, but yesterday after I found out, I had a day FULL of emotional eating. I feel SO GUILTY. I have been doing so well...but yesterday was awful. I had 3 Krispy Kreme donuts and 6 Oreos and my Protein shake. That's all I ate all day...but it was just straight CARBS and SUGAR. It's depressing when you see progress and think you have this whole thing licked then the "trigger" occurs. Anyway, thank you all for listening and letting me vent...i just feel so horrible and guilt ridden.

I no longer like things that are super sweet...and some things that were NOT that sweet to me in the past, now are. really weird. Protein shakes in particular. I've become very sensitive to the sweetness level of those...one brand (Lean Body Salted Caramel), i absolutely LOVED during my pre-op diet. Now, i can't even choke one down...too sweet...yuck.

Thank you all very much!! and thank you @@Valentina !! My dad is in Buffalo...even tho i'm in Cali, it will always be home and I will always be an Easterner! Prayers always help and are always appreciated. :-) It was so weird not having cravings and eating right...then in one day it all imploded. I thought I had it under control but obviously I still have work to do and REALLY need to come to terms with my Emotional Eating.

The book given to me was written by the gentleman that started this website Alex Brecher. I don't have it with me, but i think its called the Big Book of Bariatic Surgery. ??? (Bill can you help me on that one?) Honestly, I mostly just scoured the Internet. I lived on this forum and a couple of others and lurked for a couple of years (i initially thought i was going to get a lap band...i researched and applied for Gastric Sleeve about a 2 years ago, turned down by my insurance) ...I talked to my GP a bit, but he wasn't really much help and I really didn't know ANYBODY that had this particular surgery...let alone in Mexico. So then in May, I decided to try my insurance again...a month passed and I never heard from them (and STILL haven't), that is when i decided to look into Mexico. I have a friend whose family goes down to Mexico for ALL of their healthcare needs, and she raved about the care they have been given...so that helped. After I made my decision, I paid the deposit in June, picked a date at the end of August and just waited and hung out on these boards...i was like a sponge. About 3 weeks out, Stacy sent me an email with my pre op diet and told me what to expect and what was expected of me. I was as prepared as I COULD be I believe. I mean, I was going into the unknown, no matter HOW much i read...so I was still scared, and everyone recovers differently...for me, this has been really easy. Upon leaving they gave me handouts explaining what I can eat and when I can eat it (each week the list increases)...and it STILL is a learning experience. Right now I am at 5 weeks post op and I'm eating solid foods again...soft meats, fish, chicken, no steak. I just chew the holy hell out of everything but I feel REALLY good. It's trial and error. I will try something and go "ohhh Steve the Sleeve doesn't like THAT". Or learning when I'm actually FULL. You CAN'T know EVERYTHING because everyone is different. If I posted on here that I ate part of the insides of a ground beef and bean burrito (no rice), some people would think i was nuts 'cause i'm only 5 weeks out...but i CAN, it was my birthday and i DID it...and felt good...some can't or would think i was crazy. I think a huge part of this recovery is mental. TRY not to overthink everything. Be informed, that's awesome, but don't over analyze if you can help it. Try not to pretzel brain twist everything...it is what it is. Lifestyle changes are inevitable...adapt with a good attitude. STAY POSITIVE...BE POSITIVE. I never let myself dwell on anybody elses recovery story ... I went in with the mind set that "mine will be easy! it's all good!" and it really HAS been. Even surgery day...of COURSE i was terrified...but i knew that a better life awaited me on the other side. I even went into the surgery room SINGING (no joke...whatever they give you to relax you REALLY works!) hahaha! If you need anything, please feel free to ask away...be a sponge, absorb it all...but most of all be positive!

What a GREAT question!!! I have been struggling with that myself as I am just starting my 5th week post op. I think with me, to put it bluntly...I feel an intense pressure between my boobs. I haven't had the foam, or thrown up...I've done the burping thing, and have felt discomfort, but mostly its a pressure feeling. The big thing i struggle with is...what is truly HUNGER. I feel like i'm hungry A LOT...but I know i'm not and it tends to pass pretty quickly. Is this really thirst? Is it gas? Acid reflux?? It seems like i'm hungry way more often than I should be.

I was TERRIFIED of the pre-op...because mine was supposed to be all liquid. I couldn't do it. I tried...I really did, but my head became so foggy and i just could NOT focus and I was making SO MANY mistakes at work and in my job it's unacceptable. So what i did was go the "slim fast diet" route...I drank 2-3 shakes and had a "sensible" dinner. Pretty much NO carbs at all in my meals. chicken and veggies. I was just fine come surgery day, told everything looked great inside and still dumped about 15 lbs in 2 weeks.