Bluesea71

Guess how I spent my Memorial day? Cooking and restocking my freezer with individual sized containers of some of my favorites.
One of the secrets to my success - knowing I have something delicious to heat up for dinner keeps me from eating too much take-out or impulsively going through a drive-through! Those days are looooong gone! ????

Guess how I spent my Memorial day? Cooking and restocking my freezer with individual sized containers of some of my favorites.
One of the secrets to my success - knowing I have something delicious to heat up for dinner keeps me from eating too much take-out or impulsively going through a drive-through! Those days are looooong gone! ????

Guess how I spent my Memorial day? Cooking and restocking my freezer with individual sized containers of some of my favorites.
One of the secrets to my success - knowing I have something delicious to heat up for dinner keeps me from eating too much take-out or impulsively going through a drive-through! Those days are looooong gone! ????

Guess how I spent my Memorial day? Cooking and restocking my freezer with individual sized containers of some of my favorites.
One of the secrets to my success - knowing I have something delicious to heat up for dinner keeps me from eating too much take-out or impulsively going through a drive-through! Those days are looooong gone! ????

Guess how I spent my Memorial day? Cooking and restocking my freezer with individual sized containers of some of my favorites.
One of the secrets to my success - knowing I have something delicious to heat up for dinner keeps me from eating too much take-out or impulsively going through a drive-through! Those days are looooong gone! ????

Advice coming here from someone 14 months post-op at goal weight. I'm trying to remember back to those first few months post-surgery!
I stocked up on a bunch of supplies pre-surgery and didn't end up using 99% of them post-surgery. I just cleaned out my cubbords and threw out a bunch of Soup and Protein powders I never used because I couldn't stand them post-surgery. Others I tolerated before hand but post-surgery we can only eat so little that I wasn't willing to sacrifice taste for a few bites of anything. In other words, I typically opted for the full-fat cottage cheese vs. fat-free cottage cheese.
To get specific - a lot of people recommend those Torani sugar-free flavored syrups. I purchased 8 and never found a use for them. Adding them to cottage cheese and yogurt was just... Runny and gross.
The idea of drinking chicken/beef broth pre-surgery sounded far from appealing so things didn't change post-surgery. I bought two containers of uninjury chicken broth I used one scoop out of.
I would say gravitate toward things you know you love. Right after surgery, I ate Jello and Protein Drinks. I made jello in small individual sized tupperware containers where I added "unflavored" uninjury protein. Premiere protein drinks have 30 grams of protein. I used to get them at costco but my local store doesn't carry them anymore. Keep in mind that blending Protein Shakes with ice in a blender with a bunch of extras is a big no-no after surgery. It will make too much liquid for you to consume and add air bubbles you don't want. I'm mentioning this because there was a high-protein power I could tolerate pre-surgery if I added ice, 1/2 banana and powdered Peanut Butter. Post surgery it tasted gross in a shaker bottle. Cottage cheese was another staple to have and any soup you know you like. A blender is handy to purée any chunks down.
A food scale is handy to have down the road. The supply I found the most helpful to have is those small Dixie cups people often have in their bathrooms. They are the perfect size to measure out food right after surgery and will keep you from having to wash endless dishes for a tiny spoonful of food!!!!!

Guess how I spent my Memorial day? Cooking and restocking my freezer with individual sized containers of some of my favorites.
One of the secrets to my success - knowing I have something delicious to heat up for dinner keeps me from eating too much take-out or impulsively going through a drive-through! Those days are looooong gone! ????

I use the Derma blend body cream to hide a tattoo I had removed (but you can still see) on my ankle. It comes in a large white tube. I would say the biggest challenge is finding a color that matches your skin. They sell it at Ulta. There are great tutorial videos on YouTube on how to apply it. Layer. Layer. Layer. It holds up great (for me) while swimming in pools and ocean Water without applying the optional setting powder.

I had surgery April 2014. At 5'7", my highest weight was 245 and I was 226 on the day I was sleeved. My surgeon's goal weight for me was 160 and today i am around 150-152. I started in a size 20 and I'm now in a size 6/8.
My recovery was a breeze! I didn't have one single complication after my surgery. Trapped gas pain? Nope. Acid reflux? 14 months out, never had it or a reason to ever take the prescription medications. Heart burn? Nope. Throwing up? Nope. Dumping? Nope. Aversions to food? Nope. The only "real" issues were things you really can't avoid which are hair thinning between months 3-8 BUT by one year it all grew back in. I also had a hard time with Vitamins, but found some awesome melt away kind and the problem was quickly resolved.
The first 24 hours in the hospital I was cursing the BP community for not warning me. Coming out of surgery wasn't fun as I was nauseous from the medicine. Once it was out of my system, I was fine. I didn't need much in the hospital except my cell phone, charger, long extension cord, my own pillow and toiletries.
The first 3 days at home were the hardest and after that I didn't feel like I had surgery at all. I was back at work by the end of two weeks. I could have gone back earlier (I sit for a living, it's not very active.) and honestly, I found the process harder having so much unstructured time at home and the ability to wander into the kitchen. The supplies you will need post-op are minimal. I went overboard and bought stuff I still have never used 14 months post-op (example: those sugar free Torani syrups.) Don't laugh, but one of the most handy things I found to have was Dixie paper cups. They are the perfect size to measure a few ounces of cottage cheese and other food and then you don't have to wash endless dishes! Keep in mind that everyone's process is different. The scary thing for me is I couldn't imagine what it would feel like to have my stomach removed post surgery. You just feel full quicker at first after you eat. Some people get into trouble when they push their new tummies limits. I'm not sure why, but adjusting to a new lifestyle was easy for me. It's not to say it didn't have challenges. I didn't go out much to eat in public at first. Now 14 months out I can eat whatever I want. It's both a blessing and a curse. I was able to reach my goal weight within a year without issue and am now maintaining. For the first time in my life, I'm not really worried about weight gain. I love the fact that I never feel hungry. I love that I feel satisfied after a small amount of food. 14 months out I still have a great amount of restriction. I've never pushed this. I know my tummies capacity and stop eating well before then. It probably helped that I ate a pretty clean diet pre-surgery. I wasn't one to binge on Big Macs and never drank regular soda or any drinks with calories in them. Many of the "rules" this surgery requires I was already doing. Other rules I couldn't do before surgery, but after surgery it's really easy to do. For example, I had difficulty not eating/drinking at the same time before surgery. Now my tummy is so tiny that I can't drink while eating! I do still take tiny sips though! Do I follow the rules 100%? No way! I log everything into my lositapp on my phone and for me, having that accountability has been key. I pretty much eat whatever I want (in smaller quantity) BUT I find myself typically making healthy choices. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy dessert on occasion or other treat that I want. For me that's what makes this a lifestyle change vs. a diet. Good luck!

Relax and trust in the process. This is coming from a gal 14 months post-op who had the same worries as everyone else on the board. "Am I getting enough Protein and Water? ", "Am I losing fast enough?", "Will this stall ever end?!??" I was a slow loser throughout the entire process and constantly compared myself to others and what they're were achieving. What I can tell you is that I was able to reach my goal weight within a year with little effort. I had plenty of stalls along the way and I just continued doing what I was doing. Some weeks I wouldn't lose a pound and then I would see a 5 pound drop on the scale. I lost the majority of my weight the first 6 months post surgery. The amount you lose each week decreases the closer you get to your goal weight. Towards the end it would take me 2 months to lose 6 pounds!
Most of us come to the process with years of failed attempts to lose weight. It's hard not to worry that we may just be the one person who "fails" at WLS. I know I worried about this! All that worry I had was for nothing. I woke up one day at my goal weight. One day you will too and I can't wait until that day comes for you! Make sure to update this thread and let us know when that day comes!!!! ????❤????

Relax and trust in the process. This is coming from a gal 14 months post-op who had the same worries as everyone else on the board. "Am I getting enough Protein and Water? ", "Am I losing fast enough?", "Will this stall ever end?!??" I was a slow loser throughout the entire process and constantly compared myself to others and what they're were achieving. What I can tell you is that I was able to reach my goal weight within a year with little effort. I had plenty of stalls along the way and I just continued doing what I was doing. Some weeks I wouldn't lose a pound and then I would see a 5 pound drop on the scale. I lost the majority of my weight the first 6 months post surgery. The amount you lose each week decreases the closer you get to your goal weight. Towards the end it would take me 2 months to lose 6 pounds!
Most of us come to the process with years of failed attempts to lose weight. It's hard not to worry that we may just be the one person who "fails" at WLS. I know I worried about this! All that worry I had was for nothing. I woke up one day at my goal weight. One day you will too and I can't wait until that day comes for you! Make sure to update this thread and let us know when that day comes!!!! ????❤????

Have you never had explosive diarrhea? Yup. That's pretty much it!

Advice coming here from someone 14 months post-op at goal weight. I'm trying to remember back to those first few months post-surgery!
I stocked up on a bunch of supplies pre-surgery and didn't end up using 99% of them post-surgery. I just cleaned out my cubbords and threw out a bunch of Soup and Protein powders I never used because I couldn't stand them post-surgery. Others I tolerated before hand but post-surgery we can only eat so little that I wasn't willing to sacrifice taste for a few bites of anything. In other words, I typically opted for the full-fat cottage cheese vs. fat-free cottage cheese.
To get specific - a lot of people recommend those Torani sugar-free flavored syrups. I purchased 8 and never found a use for them. Adding them to cottage cheese and yogurt was just... Runny and gross.
The idea of drinking chicken/beef broth pre-surgery sounded far from appealing so things didn't change post-surgery. I bought two containers of uninjury chicken broth I used one scoop out of.
I would say gravitate toward things you know you love. Right after surgery, I ate Jello and Protein Drinks. I made jello in small individual sized tupperware containers where I added "unflavored" uninjury protein. Premiere protein drinks have 30 grams of protein. I used to get them at costco but my local store doesn't carry them anymore. Keep in mind that blending Protein Shakes with ice in a blender with a bunch of extras is a big no-no after surgery. It will make too much liquid for you to consume and add air bubbles you don't want. I'm mentioning this because there was a high-protein power I could tolerate pre-surgery if I added ice, 1/2 banana and powdered Peanut Butter. Post surgery it tasted gross in a shaker bottle. Cottage cheese was another staple to have and any soup you know you like. A blender is handy to purée any chunks down.
A food scale is handy to have down the road. The supply I found the most helpful to have is those small Dixie cups people often have in their bathrooms. They are the perfect size to measure out food right after surgery and will keep you from having to wash endless dishes for a tiny spoonful of food!!!!!

Inquiring minds want to know... What's going on with the girl parts?!?I'm hoping mine get a "lift" with my TT, but if yours ended up under your chin, I may reconsider! ????

Relax and trust in the process. This is coming from a gal 14 months post-op who had the same worries as everyone else on the board. "Am I getting enough Protein and Water? ", "Am I losing fast enough?", "Will this stall ever end?!??" I was a slow loser throughout the entire process and constantly compared myself to others and what they're were achieving. What I can tell you is that I was able to reach my goal weight within a year with little effort. I had plenty of stalls along the way and I just continued doing what I was doing. Some weeks I wouldn't lose a pound and then I would see a 5 pound drop on the scale. I lost the majority of my weight the first 6 months post surgery. The amount you lose each week decreases the closer you get to your goal weight. Towards the end it would take me 2 months to lose 6 pounds!
Most of us come to the process with years of failed attempts to lose weight. It's hard not to worry that we may just be the one person who "fails" at WLS. I know I worried about this! All that worry I had was for nothing. I woke up one day at my goal weight. One day you will too and I can't wait until that day comes for you! Make sure to update this thread and let us know when that day comes!!!! ????❤????

Relax and trust in the process. This is coming from a gal 14 months post-op who had the same worries as everyone else on the board. "Am I getting enough Protein and Water? ", "Am I losing fast enough?", "Will this stall ever end?!??" I was a slow loser throughout the entire process and constantly compared myself to others and what they're were achieving. What I can tell you is that I was able to reach my goal weight within a year with little effort. I had plenty of stalls along the way and I just continued doing what I was doing. Some weeks I wouldn't lose a pound and then I would see a 5 pound drop on the scale. I lost the majority of my weight the first 6 months post surgery. The amount you lose each week decreases the closer you get to your goal weight. Towards the end it would take me 2 months to lose 6 pounds!
Most of us come to the process with years of failed attempts to lose weight. It's hard not to worry that we may just be the one person who "fails" at WLS. I know I worried about this! All that worry I had was for nothing. I woke up one day at my goal weight. One day you will too and I can't wait until that day comes for you! Make sure to update this thread and let us know when that day comes!!!! ????❤????

Advice coming here from someone 14 months post-op at goal weight. I'm trying to remember back to those first few months post-surgery!
I stocked up on a bunch of supplies pre-surgery and didn't end up using 99% of them post-surgery. I just cleaned out my cubbords and threw out a bunch of Soup and Protein powders I never used because I couldn't stand them post-surgery. Others I tolerated before hand but post-surgery we can only eat so little that I wasn't willing to sacrifice taste for a few bites of anything. In other words, I typically opted for the full-fat cottage cheese vs. fat-free cottage cheese.
To get specific - a lot of people recommend those Torani sugar-free flavored syrups. I purchased 8 and never found a use for them. Adding them to cottage cheese and yogurt was just... Runny and gross.
The idea of drinking chicken/beef broth pre-surgery sounded far from appealing so things didn't change post-surgery. I bought two containers of uninjury chicken broth I used one scoop out of.
I would say gravitate toward things you know you love. Right after surgery, I ate Jello and Protein Drinks. I made jello in small individual sized tupperware containers where I added "unflavored" uninjury protein. Premiere protein drinks have 30 grams of protein. I used to get them at costco but my local store doesn't carry them anymore. Keep in mind that blending Protein Shakes with ice in a blender with a bunch of extras is a big no-no after surgery. It will make too much liquid for you to consume and add air bubbles you don't want. I'm mentioning this because there was a high-protein power I could tolerate pre-surgery if I added ice, 1/2 banana and powdered Peanut Butter. Post surgery it tasted gross in a shaker bottle. Cottage cheese was another staple to have and any soup you know you like. A blender is handy to purée any chunks down.
A food scale is handy to have down the road. The supply I found the most helpful to have is those small Dixie cups people often have in their bathrooms. They are the perfect size to measure out food right after surgery and will keep you from having to wash endless dishes for a tiny spoonful of food!!!!!

Only on Bariatric Pal will those of us with "only" 100 pounds to lose be considered tiny. ???? 100 pounds is a lot of weight to lose. Period.
I started this journey with a BMI of 39 (238 /5'7") and thanks to the sleeve reached my goal weight of 150 before a year's time. Never in my life have I been able to lose weight so easily and for the first time in my life, I'm really not worried about gaining it back. Maintenance will take some effort, but it is SO much easier not being hungry all of the time! The good news is those if us starting out with a lower BMI have a greater chance of losing 100% of our excess weight post surgery (compared to the 65% average). Good luck with whatever you decide. It's the best decision I ever made. I know I was really worried what it would be like to live with this surgery. I can tell you now 14 months post-op I can't really tell I've had it except I get full after eating a small quantity of food. Otherwise I feel normal.

Most surgeons use the "you will lose 65% percent of your excess weight" rule. I'm too lazy to figure out the mathematics to see if what he quoted applies to your case. I know at 5'7" tall I was 241 at my heaviest and 236 when I started my WLS program. 226 the day of surgery. My surgeon said I would be 160 by my one year anniversary. I surpassed that by 10 pounds and made it to 150 with very little effort. Now that I'm 14 months post-surgery, it is taking a lot more effort to lose those extra 5 pounds I would like to lose to get me to my stretch goal of 145. As for what you can accomplish, I think it's up to you and how dedicated you are to the process. I can tell you that overall I found WLS to be a lot easier than I thought it would be.

http://www.hefty.co/love-your-body/

http://www.hefty.co/love-your-body/

I went to my orientation in January 2014 and could have had surgery in March less than two months later. I waited until April to schedule it during a time I could easily take time off of work. I wasn't required to lose weight prior to surgery as my BMi was "only" 38. Others in the program seem to have had a 10-20 pound pre-surgery weight loss required. Only a few classes were required and a psyc. eval. It's been a little over a year now and I'm below goal weight. Easiest weight I've ever lost!

Most surgeons use the "you will lose 65% percent of your excess weight" rule. I'm too lazy to figure out the mathematics to see if what he quoted applies to your case. I know at 5'7" tall I was 241 at my heaviest and 236 when I started my WLS program. 226 the day of surgery. My surgeon said I would be 160 by my one year anniversary. I surpassed that by 10 pounds and made it to 150 with very little effort. Now that I'm 14 months post-surgery, it is taking a lot more effort to lose those extra 5 pounds I would like to lose to get me to my stretch goal of 145. As for what you can accomplish, I think it's up to you and how dedicated you are to the process. I can tell you that overall I found WLS to be a lot easier than I thought it would be.

209.8. Made my goal!!!!

187.3. For the first time in 21 years I weigh less than my husband.