ChavaBling

@@Kathy812 @@stephh @mrslb5 Thank you all so much!! <<<blushing>>>

Hello boys & girls of BP! I had to check in today and let you all know that as of this morning, I am in onederland!! It's not a number that means anything to my health really, but it just feels significant. I guess because most women aren't really supposed to weight more than 200 pounds even under the best of circumstances, but especially if you're 5'1/2". It's been at least 9 years...yeah, I was 22 or 23 the last time I was undoh-2-hundo. In honor of this (personally) momentous occasion, I am posting a couple of pics, which I've never done before. be gentle, be nice, or please don't comment...because my body is a onederland also i feel kind of dumb because I can not get BP to display pics properly...it keeps rotating them for some reason, grrr. you get the idea. OH! Also, the order goes : Before, After, B, A, B, A. Hopefully you could tell that!

Gorgeous lady!! You look amaaaaaazing, seriously, you were beautiful before, now you're just drop dead gorgeous. I'm sooo happy for you!! thank you for posting, it is so great to see your shayna punim!!

@@cmick14 @kymmiej11 I had a 2 day clear liquids diet, as well. I was making great progress on my own pre-op, and that was all my doc required. Try Swanson Soup bases in the box- they have delicious flavors like "Thai" and trust me, you're going to want something savory. I never thought I would be tired of sweet things..but it happens, sweet thing

TBH, I stalled for the first 3-4 weeks post op. I lost the Water weight after surgery, then...waiting...waiting...waiting...The scale didn't budge for about 3 weeks, I thought my sleeve was "broken", my therapist and my fiancee were trying to get me to chill out & stop weighing myself, so I did. I did not step on a scale from around week 2-3 to week 5, and that's when I noticed I had a big loss. So, I stalled for almost 3 weeks but that seems so far away and in the past now, even though it was less than 4 months ago. I've had 2 more stalls since then...including this week. Can't seem to break into Onederland for the life of me...practicing patience. Good luck on your journey!

@oolismom I'm sorry you're having such tsuris (Yiddish for worries, problems). It can be so devastating when we feel like our bodies are letting us down. You mentioned getting "old" but you look really young in your picture!! For me, I have lost a bunch of weight but I still have a BMI of 38- that's pretty dang obese, if anyone's counting. So, even though we've made all this progress, there's still a ways to go. Maybe as additional weight comes off, you will feel some of the pressure off your knee and spine? Also... I hate to get negative here, but doesn't it seem like, when you're overweight, doctors blame nearly every medical problem on being overweight? I mean...I have been going through this for years, ESPECIALLY during my 5 years with Kaiser...it was all about my weight, all the time. even...when I had a skin rash or bronchitis...I think "You're Fat" is a super simple answer that the medical community gives us. Sometimes they are right, but other times, it feels like they're just not trying (or listening). It sounds like in your case, losing weight should help, but it's not a magic cure for other recurring issues. I hope your medical team listens to you as a patient and you get all the care you need. {{{HUGS}}}

Hi May Sleevers! WARNING: Gets a little whiny towards the end. It's Friday, it's been a long week. I was sleeved 5/23/2014. I lost 31 lbs prior to surgery & 60 since...for a total of 91# lost! I have weighed between 200.8-200.2 all week....Onederland is proving to be elusive this week. Maybe next week. I am tolerating all kinds of new things each week, although some things just. don't. agree. I hate to admit it, but I am still throwing up a few nights a week during dinner, because I eat too much, too fast. It has been an ongoing issue that I've been working really hard to overcome. It's just hard to change 30 years of eating habits...but I'm staying relentless! I have been placing a renewed emphasis on eating at the table, with the TV off, and no distractions, and my partner has even slowed down his eating from this. All good things. Water still makes me nauseous, esp if it is cold, esp in the morning. I can sip Water later in the day and I am ok. Gulping/cold/too early in the am is when I get sick and the water comes back out. I still forget to take my Vitamins sometimes. I still have not found a chewy Calcium citrate that is affordable and not totally gross-tasting. Much to my NUT's dismay, I've been taking calcium carbonate instead. I figure it's better than none at all? I have bought a few kinds of the sitrate and they've all been expensive and too nasty to tolerate. I'm getting married in 9 months and we are paying for the wedding ourselves- it's a small budget. I did nto plan on havig to buy new clothes every month, but that's kind of where I'm at. It has been stressful because I don't want to look like a total schlub and baggy clothes are not flattering or professional. I've been spending about $50-$100/months on clothes and it makes me kind of happy, because it is fun shopping in size 14/16 (better than 22, anyway), but I can't afford to! SO many of my friends just say 'Well, THAT'S a great problem to have!" I keep being told how great my problems are to have, but none of these chicks have ever been fat, and they've all been sharing clothes with each other our whole lives and no one else has had to pay for their own wedding, and blah blah blah...i wish I had some fat or formerly fat friends TL;DR I'm doing great and I am extremely happy with my sleeve and would do it all over again.

Congrats!!! I am excited for you! I'll bet you feel like you can fly!

Gurrrl, you are on track and you look amazing! I can 100% feel your excitement. I am 208.8 today and inching towards onederland...cannot wait to get there!! Only a couple of weeks more!

YEAHHH!! WOO HOO! Welcome to Wonderland. I'll be seeing you there in about 3 weeks, cannot freaking wait!! Great job so far. My fiancee recently moved into the "just overweight, not obese" BMI range and we celebrated!! (with a non-food reward, of course) Keep up the good work!

WOW, non-scale victories can end up being the most satisfying!! You look amazing and we are all so proud of you. In particular, I can really relate to you because we have verry similar stats. I am almost 4 months out. (5'1" SW: 291 Surgery weight: 260 CW:208) You are inspiring!

Hi friends. I'm currently 10.5 weeks out from surgery and feeling pretty good most days. I'm losing about 3-4 lbs per week on average. But really, I'm here to ask you about exercise. I have been cleared by my surgeon for "strenuous" exercise since 30 days post-op. However, when I talk to my friends, or family, or my therapist, they all say the same thing- "You'd better not be exercising". To them, it makes no sense how I could be surviving on a 700-cal a day "starvation diet", and still trying to work out. The more I hear it from others, the more I start to question my surgical team's wisdom. I mean, I've done every single thing "by the book" so far. I walk for 30-60 min almost every night. But, the few times I've tried something "strenuous", I have NO ENERGY. My muscles feel so weak and exhausted after just a few minutes. I love hiking and swimming (esp. the two in combination!). I like biking and yoga and getting really sweaty at the gym. However... I'm too freaking tired to do any of this stuff! My fiancee & dog have followed me out to random trailheads, just to have to turn back after 20 min because I was so tired! So what are you doing for exercise? What has been your experience with "amping up the intensity"?? I am totally happy with my current rate of weight loss and I think walking 10+ miles per week is probably ok for now, but I am wondering how y'all are doing it.

I have had GERD since I was in my teens and have been on 20 mg omeprazole (Prilosec) daily for 9 years. I had my hiatal hernia repaired during my surgery. Since surgery, I have had to double my daily dose to mg (20 mg/2x/day). If I don't take this double dose, I get extremely painful & annoying acid reflux (even with the hernia repair). My surgeon advised me prior to surgery that 8% of sleeve patients with previous GERD have to have gastric bypass within the first three years to correct their extreme acid problems. I have never heard this statistic anywhere else, so take it with a grain of salt. My surgeon was very clear that the hernia repair does not guarantee a cure for acid reflux...I'm hoping it gets better.

I'm 5'0" and down 60 lbs. My BMI has dropped over 10 points! I have one tatt between my shoulder blades & it looks exactly the same, so far.

@drsanchez31 Hi...I feel you! There are some really tough days, and then there are days where I just feel so happy and content with my decision. The good outweighs the bad, in 4-6 months, I hope we'll be looking back and smiling.

@Davalrie You've done a great job! Gorgeous, you're ****FLAWLESS!!

@SnohoGal98296 I have felt the same SURGE of relief when my seatbelt buckled...I'm boarding a flight tomorrow and feeling nervous...but I haven't flown in 4 months and I've lost over 40 lbs since then! It's weird how different airlines have different size belts...

It sure isn't easy...thank you for sharing your truth & your struggle. Your post will help others! Great job & you're still kickin' @$$!

@@Mrs.RRn how long did you wait to start strength training? I am 7 weeks out tomorrow & I'm worried that my muscles are, like, atrophying as we speak...I've been doing cardio only.

You are amazing and an inspiration! We have similar stats...see you soon in Onederland!

YEAH, GURRRLLL!!!! If I could post a .gif of Beyonce shaking her thang, I would. So truly happy for you!!!

Have you also discussed this with your nutritionist? Has your doctor cleared you for such strenuous exercise? That sounds pretty hardcore! I sometimes have to make a conscious decision to trust my medical team, even though I don't always agree 100%. On the other hand, you know your body best.

Ok, I do have to say I've lost a total of 55 lbs before & after surgery, and for that, I am very grateful. I've never really kvetched on here, but here I go, big time. I am pretty tired of waking up every day with a sour stomach. Why do I feel exhausted 80% of the time? Where's all this "newfound energy" people talk about? When does that start? I'm sick of burping all day long at work. It's gross. Some days I feel like I'd rather not eat than have another yogurt, shake, or slice of deli turkey. I feel like I'm so sensitive to tastes right now, I can taste the chemicals and artificial sweeteners in everything. AND SINCE WHEN DOES Water MAKE ME PUKE?? WTF IS THAT? ONLY IN THE MORNING?!? COME ON, BODY!!! I found out I was taking the wrong kind of Calcium (carbonate as opposed to citrate). I dropped $38 on a new tub of Mint calcium citrate from Bariatric Advantage, they came last night, and they're absolutely disgusting. Completely unpalatable, kind of like chewing a piece of chalk. I made #FEYONCE try one, and he was seriously grossed out as well. Where is the tasty, chewy, calcium citrate? UGH!! So many pills to juggle, AM, PM, and midday...I almost always end up missing one of my Actigall pills, so I'm worrying daily about gallstones. The last few days, I have missed eating...like a "normal" person (relative). Like, being able to go to a restaurant. Or not having to have an in-depth conversation with my dining companion about what I can or can't have. Or like, having to remind my DH2B that I can't have salad right now. Lord knows he's trying, but I'm just tired. And yes, this is about more than just "actual hunger"...I miss being able to eat more than a few tablespoons at a time. It's not because I'm hungry...because I don't ever feel hungry. I miss that act of eating and the chemical reaction in my brain from eating the "bad" stuff (ie sugar, flour, fat, etc). Moody.................... I chose to do this and I am not regretting it at all. I'm just feeling very frustrated this morning.

Your dimples are darling!

I'm exactly 1 month out today. I haven't weighed myself since my doctor's visit last week, but I returned to work today. I started feeling really tired about halway through the day, but it's 4:49 PM and I've made it through! Every day for lunch, I am now eating a slice of deli turkey and a slice of reduced fat swiss rolled up. I take tiny bites and chew slowly, and can hardly finish it. Today I ate it too fast and it came back out I was only taking a small bite every few minutes, but hey- I'm only on day 3 of soft foods. I think it was because I was distractedly eating it at my desk instead of eating mindfully. I'm wondering if I should advise my coworkers about my occasional random upchucks...