Pkdvm

I will add...take your measurements and take selfies. Those will be a better gauges than the scale.

I'm 9 months out - I'll share my perspective with you...I complained about stalls to my doctor. She said if you chart your weight loss, it will look more like a stair step rather than a linear downward line. That's exactly what mine looks like.
Early on, I would stall for 10-14 days, then drop 3 pounds overnight. Then steadily drop for a couple of weeks, then stall again.
I haven't lost anything for the past 8 weeks - yes, 8 weeks. That's a long time, but, I just keep planning and following the plan. I know the scale will move again. The scale doesn't rule my life any longer...many wise people on this forum cautioned me to not weigh every day. My husband hid the scale and brought it out once per week. It helps.
I have realized now, that this process, this journey is about so much more than that number on the scale.

NSV! Well, my dermatologist wouldn't agree!
Got my very first sunburn on my white belly after wearing my first bikini to the pool today!

Hey there!
I know exactly what you are talking about and it is extremely uncomfortable. I've learned I really had to change not just what I eat, but how I eat it. I used to shovel everything in and never take more than 10 minutes to clean my plate. Now, to avoid the feeling of being too full, I have to remind myself to sit down, cut all food into toddler size pieces (training silverware for kids works awesome for pacing my eating btw, so ya know something to think about), eat a small piece and put down my fork, chew twice as much as I think I need to, and then finally swallow and waiting a minute or two. It's been the most challenging part of the whole experience. All I can say is try slowing down a bit - put your fork down between bites and just wait a minute to see how you feel. You'll learn your new tummy eventually, but it's all a learning process. Good Luck!

Well I will not lose mine, nor will they get droopy. I had breast cancer in 2007 and had a double mastectomy with reconstruction, so I have implants. It is the ONLY positive thing from having breast cancer don't have to worry about plastic surgery to fix any sag in the breast area!

I just got a new bra yesterday....still not cupcake holders but certainly not Soup bowls anymore! You will be pleasantly surprised! Good luck!

I was totally expecting pics of your bum.

Just thought I'd share a few views from my saddle yesterday....
the little white speck in the middle is my dog
tin cup creek
south Leigh canyon on the west side of the Tetons

I am in the middle of the slump with you, I actually lost four pounds after a week of not losing anything and gained it right back that same night in Water weight. SO COMMON. I was freaking out like you, tormenting myself by weighing every day and just assume this - My body isn't going to manufacture its own calories so what I put in the tank is what I put in the tank. That unfortunately includes Water and the statements above about glycogen storage and gain / loss are spot on. Hold my hand while we get through this time, but know that we will.

Great attitude! I'm also going through a difficult divorce and I'm determined not to let all of the stress make me revert to my default setting of eating my problems away.
You keep up the good work and stay fierce!

Great attitude! I'm also going through a difficult divorce and I'm determined not to let all of the stress make me revert to my default setting of eating my problems away.
You keep up the good work and stay fierce!

Divorce can be so liberating and empowering. Don't let it bring you down.

Thanks! Good luck to you too. I'm nervous whenever my lawyer emails me something, but more nervous when there's been no news for a week. Ugh!

Great attitude! I'm also going through a difficult divorce and I'm determined not to let all of the stress make me revert to my default setting of eating my problems away.
You keep up the good work and stay fierce!

Great attitude! I'm also going through a difficult divorce and I'm determined not to let all of the stress make me revert to my default setting of eating my problems away.
You keep up the good work and stay fierce!

Had a hellish summer that is ending much better than it began. My divorce is in progress and I'm putting one foot in front of the other. Tomorrow my girls return to college and although we've been cramped where we're currently living, I will miss them terribly. Scared of what the next few months will bring. I won't eat over this. I won't! I'm telling everyone here, right now, that I'm focusing on taking good care of myself and will continue to make progress in my weight loss while I face these scary challenges. That is all.
I don't know if that's a rant or a rave but I needed to say it!

@@Jersrose43, I LOVE YOU!!!
thank you for giving me the impetus to call the insurance company. they forwarded me their paper on requirements, and i just read it, and it says "patient must not show a net gain in weight". period!!! so the 14lbs is strictly my doctor's requirement? recommendation? i don't know. but i do feel so much better knowing this!

I wish I could go with you on your next appointment to give them apiece of my mind! Lucky for me my surgeon knew that I had lost all ability to lose weight via diet. I had to do the 2 week liver shrinking diet and I about died of starvation...only lost 8# in2 weeks even though I suffered terribly. I have had great success post sleeve and I don't believe these extended preop suffering diets predict long term success.
Hang in there,don't get depressed. It's YOUR life on the line here, they are there to support and care for you through this process. It's just their job, but it's your future we are talking about.

My experience has been a little different. I was sleeved 3 weeks ago to the day. Although I dont really feel hunger, I experience what Ive seen refered to as "head hunger". In the beginning, it was really bad. I found this surprising, bc Ive always been a very picky eater, but I found myself craving foods that I didnt even like. I think this was a result of being on the liquid diet. Everything looked good to me. And everytime a commercial came on tv, it seemed to be a food commercial smh. That was my experience during the two weeks before my surgery and the two weeks after. Now the problem that Im having (although still mental), is that although I can only eat a very small amount, my brain is still telling me to eat more. For example, I had a chicken wing the other day (not a large on, but the little one that would come in an appetizer). I could only eat half of it, and was stuffed. Although physically I knew I could not eat anymore, my brain was saying "really though? 1/2 of a wing?..thats not even right". So although I dont fell hunger, and Ive started to be able to gauge how much my sleeve can handle at a time, its been a big mind game for me.

Hi Giana, I'm also fairly new to VSG surgery at only 2.5 weeks post op. I know your frustrations, as I was previously a lap band patient several years ago. The main key is to keep the big picture in mind, your goal. Take one day at a time and don't beat yourself up over the past. I went to a wedding 1.5 weeks post op and the temptation to have BBQ, wedding cake and alcohol was unreal, but I know that I'm unhappy with how I look, so I sipped a Water and had a few sips of lemonade. As a reward, my husband took me to my favorite mexican restaurant afterwards, where I ordered chicken tortilla Soup and asked them to just give me the broth. It tasted the same without all the extra stuff that I couldn't have! Give yourself mini pats on the back like that! This is just as much a mental game as it is a physical and emotional one! I'm a nurse and I work 12-15 hour shifts so I understand how hard it is to balance. Have a water bottle at your desk and sip, sip, sip all day. Pack and preplan your meals and Snacks. If you have a sweet tooth, try the Chobani yogurt packs, they made new ones called Coco-Loco (come with sliced almonds and dark chocolate bits) and Key Lime Pie (come with graham cracker crumbles) and I promise they do not taste like greek yogurt! I drink a green smoothie in the morning that I love, it tastes like banana! It's 4oz spinach, 1c. diced pineapple, 1c. vanilla greek yogurt, 1 whole banana, 1-2 scoops any plain Protein powder and 1 tbsp honey. Blend, blend, blend and add a little ice if needed to make it colder. I'm still on soft foods, so my lunch is Tomato Soup with a little ricotta, and my dinner is scrambled eggs with spinach. Snacks are colby jack cheese sticks, yogurt, cottage cheese mixed with avocado (don't judge me lol) and applesauce with cinnamon. Find what you like and tweak it.
The biggest thing to know is that you can do this! I believe in you! Let's get you back on track girl!

Thanks to all of you who were kind enough to reply and/or like my post. I know that I have a long way to go, but I'm headed in the right direction and really feel as if I've got all of the tools that I need to make this happen for me. It's been wonderful reading so many success stories along with the people who were brave enough to post their complications and problems. I truly am so grateful for this forum and for contact with fellow sleevers, as well as for the care I've received from my surgeon, nutritionist and office staff.
Can't wait until its time to post some before and after pix:)

This is one of the funniest and most accurate descriptions I've read here. Thanks for sharing!

Hi sorry I have not updated on this thread in a while. So first my stats as of this am:
Sw 189
Pre surgery weight 183
Current weight 153
So I was in colorado visiting my family (who all live there now). We had lots of fun, plenty of different activities and lots of walking! I also asked my sisters-in-law and my Mom to take me shopping at places like Ross, gordmans, clothes mentor, and other lower priced clothing stores to find clothes that fit me. Now keep in mind I have bought plus size for years now, and so I automatically went towards plus size clothing out of long habit. Everyone hollered at me to get back to the misses and juniors side, I started to look in the XL sizes and they were like "humor us and try these things on instead" sizes medium, smalls, a few larges, 10s, 12s, and even 8s! I then would go try stuff on and come model for them... I was completely shell shocked to learn that size large was actually too big on me! They kept telling me I had hid in oversized baggy clothes for so long, and they said I have been working too hard to hide my body now. They reminded me that I used to love to wear fitted clothes that showed my assets off a little bit more (I am a naturally curvy girl even when I was 90 pounds soaking wet). They also let me know how proud they are of me (which made me a bit teary eyed).
So I ended up coming home with new clothes that fit, in a wide range of sizes (it is true, a size 8 in one brand is not a size 8 in another). I then went to my closet and did some serious cleaning, planning to wash and take clothes to sell at clothes mentor in a few weeks. I even found a huge stash of clothes I had stored in the hopes I could wear them again soon- and I can wear them now!
I am sorry I just went on and on in the paragraph above, it is just that it is such a huge nsv for me, and a very emotional thing at that. I am actually typing with tears running down my face right now. Both for fitting smaller clothes and for the absolute love and support from both hubby and kids, as well as my extended family. I am so very very blessed.

Two years ago , I took my kids to a Waterpark. I was overweight but I went on all the rides. I remember the stairs causing me to be out of breath but the rides were fine and we had a nice time. A year later, more weight, another "better" Water park, I am not even comfortable in the specially ordered swimsuit I ordered for the trip. I have embarrassing moments with tubes and slides but I went for my children, not my self image. I am days away from surgery. Another year later, 60 pounds down, another Waterpark, I feel great. I notice that the stairs don't even cause me to be out of breath, the slides are fun and I have very few problems with tubes. I make it across the "Lilly pad rope" challenge and my 13 year old son is like " aww mom I didn't even get to see you wipe out" while I could tell he was proud I made it across. My older teenage daughters were not embarrassed to walk around the park with their "beautiful" mom. This is not the experience from prior years. This is what VSG has done for me. This is what I have done. This is really enjoying my life as their mom! Water parks included. ????

I know that I'm only just beginning, having had my surgery exactly 3 weeks ago(July 28), but I'm so excited I just had to share. I'm down 30# from my highest weight, just had my measurements redone by my trainer and I've lost 12 1/2" and I feel great!
So far, I'm thrilled with the changes both psychologically and physically.
I think that Sleevie and I have a bright future ahead. The information and support from this website have been invaluable- thanks to all.