MySouthernSleeveRevival

My only advice is to make your health your priority. First is to drink enough fluids, if you want them or not. Second is to get enough Protein and third, to get a healthy amount of calories. I recommend using a meal plan and a schedule to accomplish that. Map out what you will eat at each meal/snack and schedule fluids. For example,
8 am : I cup fluids
9 am Protein Drink with at least 24 grams Protein
10:30 1 cup fluids
11:30 am 2 oz protein with 2 teaspoons healthy oil and 1/4 cup whole grain
12:30 1 cup whole fat milk
2 pm 1 cup fluids
3:30 pm 1/4 avocado, I oz full fat cheese, whole grain crackers
5 pm 1 cup fluids
6 pm 2 oz protein with 2 teaspoons healthy oil and 1/4 cup whole grain
8 pm Protein Drink with at least 24 grams protein
9:30 pm 1 cup fluids
This gets you 64 oz fluids, more than 70 grams protein and a decent amount of calories. Eat and drink if you are hungry or not.

(if you can't see this post without a bunch of extra HTML code, go here: http://sleevers.wordpress.com/2013/11/10/you-may-be-doing-better-than-you-think/)



Or math games geeks play.



So I see people posting how they’ve lost a lot less than those who were sleeved the same day as them. “I’m 3 months out and I’ve only lost X but everyone else has lost so much more than me.” Theoretically we all understand that if someone has a lot to lose, they will lose faster than someone who has less to lose.



But here’s an example to make it real. There’s me, with 80 lbs to lose, and there’s my friend Emily who has 180 lbs to lose. Mine are actual results, and I made up the results for Emily.



Wow, I’m doing really badly. I’ve “only” lost 35 lbs in 3 months and Emily has lost 79 lbs! Obviously, I’m failing.





But you want to know a secret? I didn’t entirely make up Emily’s numbers. Look at the picture below. Can you guess what I did?







Yup. I messed around with the numbers until Emily had lost exactly the same as I had in terms of percent excess weight to lose. I have 80 lb. to lose, she has 180 lb. to lose. In order for her to match me for percent of excess weight lost, she has to lose considerably more than I do during the same time period.



Poor Emily is having to work a lot harder to get the same results I am. And what do you know, I'm doing just fine.



This is why I strongly believe that we should move away from total pounds lost, and move to percent excess weight lost to gauge where we are in our journeys.



Here’s how to calculate your %EWL:

[Total weight lost/(Starting weight - Goal Weight)]*100
[35/(230-150)]*100
(35/80)*100
=44%
Who knew Math could make you feel better hunh?



Btw, if you're total math phobic, give me your start weight, your current weight, and your goal weight and I will do this for you.

Congratulations on your first meeting! Mine is on Monday and I can't wait! I loved your post and wish you the best of luck in this journey.
Autumn

I have become addicted to this post lol. Thank you to all of you vets that take the time to share your wisdom! I fight every day with my addiction and I have to confess that I avoid posts where cheating and abuse of someone's sleeve is happening. I hate to have to admit this, but I feel I am only just able to keep myself on track. I feel I am being rather selfish not helping, but a couple of times when I have made comments, on another forum I was taken as being judgmental. I am rather a people pleaser so was horrified, when what I had said was taken as an attack. I realised that trying to help was putting me in a vulnerable position with my addiction. I was able to not revert back to old habits of binging but I had to really fight the urge. I think you vets that offer advice and give your time, whatever your style, be it straight to the point, or a softly approach, should be received as thoughtful and caring. I for one love learning from you all! As I have mentioned before therapy has made such a difference to me but reading what you vets post make me feel this is worth fighting for. PLEASE don't ever feel what you post is not valuable, beneficial, or adhered to, a novice like me would be lost without you.

It's most definitely more complicated than an us and them conversation, because many of us, at some point on our journey, are on either side of that line.
I do not know a single vet that hasn't slipped, ever. It's impossible to separate out "good vs. bad" when you're talking about food, something we all ingest daily.
I think there's a boundary here and that things that AREN'T enabling are being lumped in because to some people, it's a temptation. That's a personal issue. Someone gleefully posting that they ate a pizza, followed it up with ice cream and then washed it down with a soda - and then getting virtual pats on the back and likes for their post? That's enabling. That's also disgusting, quite frankly.
But there's a line. Because confessing that you ate something off and someone replying "It's not that bad, it's not the end of the world." I'm seeing people group THAT in as enabling, when more likely, that's a person trying to be positive and supportive. Because there are still people here (loads of them) that think support is ONLY positive and saying anything even remotely critical is being mean and unhelpful.
Hey, guess what? It may bother some people, but I still like food. I still love to bake. I'm sorry if the fact that I cooked something today that wasn't a green smoothie or grilled chicken breast makes someone want to go off the rails on a food orgy. The planning of menus and the preparing of food for my family or entertaining is a large part of my life. And yes, it balances in with my surgery. But I'm expected to keep any and all talk about that to myself, for fear of someone taking a nose dive into the candy bar aisle?
That's the part I disagree with.
Above all else, this site should be supportive. It should also be respectful. That means respecting that we're all individuals on individual journeys. Hey, let me tell you, some of these threads make me incredibly upset. Nobody should be saying it's okay to break surgeon guidelines or binge eat! I don't care what your friend or nutritionist or doctor told you. It's not okay behavior. But that's MY opinion. Because if someone wants to fail at this? That's not my issue. Oh, it'll make me upset and maybe angry and definitely frustrated with people. I might even rant about people not being educated before a major operation. If you want to eat a damned cheeseburger while you're healing, I'm sorry for you and I'm sorry for your family. Because food is probably going to kill you if you can't get your act together.
Again, I like that you started this thread, Laura, but I still feel there is a huge amount of personal responsibility that comes into play. We're all behind computer screens. Nobody is holding anyone else's hand and leading them to the cookie jar. If you cannot get a grasp on YOUR OWN (and this is not directed at anyone specific) disordered eating, wake up! Because NOBODY, NOBODY is going to change your life but YOU.
Food is part of life. We cannot avoid it. Birthdays? Cake? Parties? Alcohol? These things are not going away because we opted to have surgery. Expecting nobody to post about how to incorporate these things into their lives (in a healthy way, hopefully!) is unfair. It's akin to expecting your non-sleeved husband to stick to a liquid diet with you because you chose to have surgery, or being angry that he can eat more than 500 calories a day when you can't. The world doesn't revolve around us!
I wish there were a way to separate it out. Overwhelmingly, I see people asking advice here about food and taking it from strangers on the internet. Really? Do you REALLY think it's okay to eat cake during healing just because someone, somewhere says that their surgeon said it was okay to have "just a little?" (That's enabling.) And why on earth do you really have to ask?! You know darn well cake isn't okay while you're healing! Post to lament the fact that you're missing out, post to ask what you can do instead, post a positive on what you'll do instead, but for goodness' sake, don't ask us to tell you it's okay when you know it's not. Invariably, there will be ONE person out there saying, "Oh yeah, sure, go ahead!"
The addict is looking for that one person. They'll skip the 22 "WTH are you thinking?" posts to go with the 1 that tells them what they want to hear. The person seeking support is looking to be told it'll be okay, so the 22 "WTH" and "It'll be okay" posts are encouraging and keep them on the right track. But you can't guess who's going to read it and what their intent beforehand is, so jumping in and saying those posts aren't okay at all isn't fair to the people that want a more moderate approach.
The biggest solution would have people educated prior to surgery, so they're not looking for validation and approval for their poor choices on the internet.
I can do moderation (usually...) despite having food addict behaviors. I will never overcome my addiction. I choose moderation, because deprivation makes me angry and resentful. I weigh daily and do not allow myself to fall off the wagon (at least not for long...) and I make the right choices more than 90% of the time. You know what? Three years out and there are stressful and "hungry" days when every single fast food sign I pass pulls on me and tempts me. I know darn well that McDonald's food tastes like crap but those golden arches still make me want their crappy food sometimes. It's up to ME to resist.
It boils down to personal responsibility. Posts make me angry. They make me sad. They bother me because people give stupid advice. How I choose to react is entirely up to me. The same goes for food. If we're going to blame food discussions for making us eat, let's lump in television, too. Because late night food commercials? They get me every time.
Laura reacted well. She chose to start a safe thread discussing what bothers her. It's some of the talk here that it's all enabling, or the idea that we all have to police one another that I find objectionable. Support, yes. Hard truth when needed, yes. Blunt truth when needed, yes. Policing or shutting down threads I don't agree with? No.
~Cheri

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! I came to this forum, because I REALLY want to and am ready to make these drastic changes. Like many of you I'm a food addict. I'm right at the point that I have looked at myself and finally have seen the light. I am realizing how much food has control over my life and how much time I have wasted on food, in every imaginable way possible. I have thought about wls for several years. I am so grateful I have not taken the plunge in the past and thought it would all work it self out once the surgery was in place. I was smarter than that. I really let myself figure things out. Two things have happened over the last 6 years of contemplating whether or not I should have this wls. First I have continued to gain, secondly I have not taken the necessary measures to make this happen on my own. I am 37 y/o 254.5 lbs 5'3 woman, who is severely depressed due to her weight and I have never been able to make "it" happen. I have chosen to have wls, not to see what I can still eat or not eat..but to see what it's gonna feel like and look like once I start living again!!! I have a goal to be able to run a marathon, to do a Spartan race, to kayak. If I never have a cupcake again I don't f-ing care I want to LIVE!!! I have set up therapy for the first time in my life. I feel like I will need some help saying goodbye to an old friend, the girl who got me here to 254, I feel like that girl needs to be honored , heard and respected that she got me this far in life but to also say goodbye to her...she can't go with me on my new adventure, she has served her purpose in my life, although it may sound crazy, I feel like i'm at a crossroads of saying goodbye to the old girl while stepping forward to grab the hand of the new girl. I am so grateful for all those that have taken the time to post in this thread. So much of what all of you has said rang true for me. I know I have a long journey ahead of me. But I know I must take a new path. I'm in need of a revival within my self;)The post's here were so thought provoking and honestly the best one I've read to date. Again thanks. I get so much from the vets! Please stay around there are those like me that truly value your points of view who rely on those that have gone before us and are still making it work.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! I came to this forum, because I REALLY want to and am ready to make these drastic changes. Like many of you I'm a food addict. I'm right at the point that I have looked at myself and finally have seen the light. I am realizing how much food has control over my life and how much time I have wasted on food, in every imaginable way possible. I have thought about wls for several years. I am so grateful I have not taken the plunge in the past and thought it would all work it self out once the surgery was in place. I was smarter than that. I really let myself figure things out. Two things have happened over the last 6 years of contemplating whether or not I should have this wls. First I have continued to gain, secondly I have not taken the necessary measures to make this happen on my own. I am 37 y/o 254.5 lbs 5'3 woman, who is severely depressed due to her weight and I have never been able to make "it" happen. I have chosen to have wls, not to see what I can still eat or not eat..but to see what it's gonna feel like and look like once I start living again!!! I have a goal to be able to run a marathon, to do a Spartan race, to kayak. If I never have a cupcake again I don't f-ing care I want to LIVE!!! I have set up therapy for the first time in my life. I feel like I will need some help saying goodbye to an old friend, the girl who got me here to 254, I feel like that girl needs to be honored , heard and respected that she got me this far in life but to also say goodbye to her...she can't go with me on my new adventure, she has served her purpose in my life, although it may sound crazy, I feel like i'm at a crossroads of saying goodbye to the old girl while stepping forward to grab the hand of the new girl. I am so grateful for all those that have taken the time to post in this thread. So much of what all of you has said rang true for me. I know I have a long journey ahead of me. But I know I must take a new path. I'm in need of a revival within my self;)The post's here were so thought provoking and honestly the best one I've read to date. Again thanks. I get so much from the vets! Please stay around there are those like me that truly value your points of view who rely on those that have gone before us and are still making it work.

Congrats!!!

Go you!!!

BF2 congrats on the size 8!!! sounds great, excited to be where you are soon!!! 80lbs in 6 months you go girl!!!

Dr. Antonetti did my surgery - he's a wonderful surgeon! His staff is extremely supportive and encouraging.

I live in Greenville but had surgery at MUSC in Charleston May 15. Started at 240 down to 160. Was size 20-22 wore a size 8 pants yesterday. Still losing. Sleeve works. Blessings!
Blessings ~ Melody (BlessedFun2)

Well hey ya'll is what we say in these parts;) I wanted to stop in and introduce myself. My screen name/topic title say's it all. My family and I just moved to the south approx. a month ago. However My Southern Sleeve Revival aka: MSSR has been a story unto it's self. I have researched wls for quite some time on and off for about 6 years now and even got right up to the week before surgery and insurance denied me 4 days prior for not havng a documented weight history of obesity for more than 5 years...mind you I had already had all the pre-op stuff done. It was truly a blessing in disguise I wanted it,( at the time the band) but I was scared to death of all the horrible threads I had read about the dreaded 1% so I took the denial as a sign. I sighed with relief that I didn't have to go thru with it!!! However I can say though, everyday since then and before then, I have wondered what it would have been like. And I constantly wake up feeling a huge mound of regret that I have not taken the resource of wls paired with therapy to change things around for myself. I have not always been overweight. The weight crept on right after having my daughter 12 years ago. I'm sure I kept it at bay way earlier with heavy smoking and being in the Army and prior to that an active teen. I have a wonderful support team...my bff/husband we will just call him Mr. A = Mr. Awesome and my most amazing daughter. I have only told my sil about my decision and plan on just telling two other life long friends who will be supportive of my decision. I meet with my surgeon Dr. Marc Antonetti (so if you have any experience with him I'd love to hear about t please!!!) On Nov 7th...per my ins this is covered, but I have heard that before (now we have a new ins:) so I will wait til I hear back to get super excited. I plan on returning to work/a new career, after a very long 4 year hiatus doing the stay at home Mom thing ( which I adore) but I'm in a new town, I'm at a new space in my life, new career landed in my lap with a willing mentor, and soon to have a new stomach...hence the name My Southern Sleeve Revival. I look forward to meeting and staying in touch with those of you who have gone before me and those at the starting line with me
re·viv·al-an improvement in the condition or strength of something...an instance of something becoming popular, active, or important again...a restoration to bodily or mental vigor, to life or consciousness, or to sporting success

Well hey ya'll is what we say in these parts;) I wanted to stop in and introduce myself. My screen name/topic title say's it all. My family and I just moved to the south approx. a month ago. However My Southern Sleeve Revival aka: MSSR has been a story unto it's self. I have researched wls for quite some time on and off for about 6 years now and even got right up to the week before surgery and insurance denied me 4 days prior for not havng a documented weight history of obesity for more than 5 years...mind you I had already had all the pre-op stuff done. It was truly a blessing in disguise I wanted it,( at the time the band) but I was scared to death of all the horrible threads I had read about the dreaded 1% so I took the denial as a sign. I sighed with relief that I didn't have to go thru with it!!! However I can say though, everyday since then and before then, I have wondered what it would have been like. And I constantly wake up feeling a huge mound of regret that I have not taken the resource of wls paired with therapy to change things around for myself. I have not always been overweight. The weight crept on right after having my daughter 12 years ago. I'm sure I kept it at bay way earlier with heavy smoking and being in the Army and prior to that an active teen. I have a wonderful support team...my bff/husband we will just call him Mr. A = Mr. Awesome and my most amazing daughter. I have only told my sil about my decision and plan on just telling two other life long friends who will be supportive of my decision. I meet with my surgeon Dr. Marc Antonetti (so if you have any experience with him I'd love to hear about t please!!!) On Nov 7th...per my ins this is covered, but I have heard that before (now we have a new ins:) so I will wait til I hear back to get super excited. I plan on returning to work/a new career, after a very long 4 year hiatus doing the stay at home Mom thing ( which I adore) but I'm in a new town, I'm at a new space in my life, new career landed in my lap with a willing mentor, and soon to have a new stomach...hence the name My Southern Sleeve Revival. I look forward to meeting and staying in touch with those of you who have gone before me and those at the starting line with me
re·viv·al-an improvement in the condition or strength of something...an instance of something becoming popular, active, or important again...a restoration to bodily or mental vigor, to life or consciousness, or to sporting success

Well hey ya'll is what we say in these parts;) I wanted to stop in and introduce myself. My screen name/topic title say's it all. My family and I just moved to the south approx. a month ago. However My Southern Sleeve Revival aka: MSSR has been a story unto it's self. I have researched wls for quite some time on and off for about 6 years now and even got right up to the week before surgery and insurance denied me 4 days prior for not havng a documented weight history of obesity for more than 5 years...mind you I had already had all the pre-op stuff done. It was truly a blessing in disguise I wanted it,( at the time the band) but I was scared to death of all the horrible threads I had read about the dreaded 1% so I took the denial as a sign. I sighed with relief that I didn't have to go thru with it!!! However I can say though, everyday since then and before then, I have wondered what it would have been like. And I constantly wake up feeling a huge mound of regret that I have not taken the resource of wls paired with therapy to change things around for myself. I have not always been overweight. The weight crept on right after having my daughter 12 years ago. I'm sure I kept it at bay way earlier with heavy smoking and being in the Army and prior to that an active teen. I have a wonderful support team...my bff/husband we will just call him Mr. A = Mr. Awesome and my most amazing daughter. I have only told my sil about my decision and plan on just telling two other life long friends who will be supportive of my decision. I meet with my surgeon Dr. Marc Antonetti (so if you have any experience with him I'd love to hear about t please!!!) On Nov 7th...per my ins this is covered, but I have heard that before (now we have a new ins:) so I will wait til I hear back to get super excited. I plan on returning to work/a new career, after a very long 4 year hiatus doing the stay at home Mom thing ( which I adore) but I'm in a new town, I'm at a new space in my life, new career landed in my lap with a willing mentor, and soon to have a new stomach...hence the name My Southern Sleeve Revival. I look forward to meeting and staying in touch with those of you who have gone before me and those at the starting line with me
re·viv·al-an improvement in the condition or strength of something...an instance of something becoming popular, active, or important again...a restoration to bodily or mental vigor, to life or consciousness, or to sporting success

Dr. Marc Antonetti did my surgery - he's a great surgeon and has a fantastic team working with him. I had my 3 month check-up with him yesterday and I've already lost over 70 lbs. Welcome aboard!

Welcome!!!

Well hey ya'll is what we say in these parts;) I wanted to stop in and introduce myself. My screen name/topic title say's it all. My family and I just moved to the south approx. a month ago. However My Southern Sleeve Revival aka: MSSR has been a story unto it's self. I have researched wls for quite some time on and off for about 6 years now and even got right up to the week before surgery and insurance denied me 4 days prior for not havng a documented weight history of obesity for more than 5 years...mind you I had already had all the pre-op stuff done. It was truly a blessing in disguise I wanted it,( at the time the band) but I was scared to death of all the horrible threads I had read about the dreaded 1% so I took the denial as a sign. I sighed with relief that I didn't have to go thru with it!!! However I can say though, everyday since then and before then, I have wondered what it would have been like. And I constantly wake up feeling a huge mound of regret that I have not taken the resource of wls paired with therapy to change things around for myself. I have not always been overweight. The weight crept on right after having my daughter 12 years ago. I'm sure I kept it at bay way earlier with heavy smoking and being in the Army and prior to that an active teen. I have a wonderful support team...my bff/husband we will just call him Mr. A = Mr. Awesome and my most amazing daughter. I have only told my sil about my decision and plan on just telling two other life long friends who will be supportive of my decision. I meet with my surgeon Dr. Marc Antonetti (so if you have any experience with him I'd love to hear about t please!!!) On Nov 7th...per my ins this is covered, but I have heard that before (now we have a new ins:) so I will wait til I hear back to get super excited. I plan on returning to work/a new career, after a very long 4 year hiatus doing the stay at home Mom thing ( which I adore) but I'm in a new town, I'm at a new space in my life, new career landed in my lap with a willing mentor, and soon to have a new stomach...hence the name My Southern Sleeve Revival. I look forward to meeting and staying in touch with those of you who have gone before me and those at the starting line with me
re·viv·al-an improvement in the condition or strength of something...an instance of something becoming popular, active, or important again...a restoration to bodily or mental vigor, to life or consciousness, or to sporting success