debdebdolen

June 24th, here.... Glad to report that I'm down 114 pounds, and 3 below my initial goal of 154 – which is one pound into my "normal" BMI range. I've set a stretch goal of 145-148 as my permanent range to try and avoid ever going back over my goal number. I have to say that this journey has really been fun! But now, as the honeymoon period ends, the compliments and new clothing sizes dry up, and the long-haul work begins, I hope it will continue to at least be satisfying. I'm proud of my success, and the collective success of our June 2014 family. If we keep working at it, it will keep paying off. Good luck, everyone!!!

I find that if I keep my sleeve full of fluids, it stays satisfied. So...
I bought two 24-ounce Tervis Tumblers (and handles) at Bed, Bath & Beyond; one for work and one for home. At least 30 minutes after Breakfast (and after coffee) I fill one up with sugar-free, Decaf Crystal Light (or generic) iced tea and sip it all morning, finishing up at least 30 minutes before lunch. At least 30 minutes after lunch, I fill another and sip it all afternoon. (Sometimes I work in a snack, sometimes I don't.) Then, at least 30 minutes after dinner I fill my last one at home and sip it all evening. That's 72+ ounces of Fluid every day! If I have to go somewhere, I bring my tumbler in the car with me. And if I'm hungry and it's not mealtime or snacktime, I drink even more. If I'm going to a casual party where there won't be anything "appropriate" for me to drink, I bring along more tea in a cooler. A bit obsessive? Perhaps, but it works! Including coffee and green tea, I'm probably getting about 120 oz of Fluid per day. And the more you drink, the more your body craves. I can polish off a 24-oz tumbler in just a few minutes sometimes. Not sure if that's a good thing, but it keeps me hydrated, which is good for weight loss AND skin elasticity!

MsBeauty, I always put either PB2 or half a banana in my Premier Protein shake to make it more palatable then give it a whiz in the NutriBullet. Makes a huge difference for me.
I'm down 75 since surgery on June 17th. Going to the gym three times a week, taking a line dancing class and getting a little conceited from all the compliments. So happy I went through with surgery after years of contemplation!

MsBeauty, I always put either PB2 or half a banana in my Premier Protein shake to make it more palatable then give it a whiz in the NutriBullet. Makes a huge difference for me.
I'm down 75 since surgery on June 17th. Going to the gym three times a week, taking a line dancing class and getting a little conceited from all the compliments. So happy I went through with surgery after years of contemplation!

The Quest and Atkins bars are good. I've been blessed with no side effects too. 142 lbs in 6 months...lovin it.

Congrats fellow June sleevers. I had my surgery on June 25 and am down by 82 pounds with 19 to go. I mostly stick to lean meats, Quest Protein Bars, and Bariatric Advantage shakes and I keep fresh veggies in the house to eat to "fill in the gaps" if I get hungry and don't want to add many calories to the mix. I also eat other high Protein "prepared foods" to keep it interesting. It has been the best money I have ever spent. Feeling fantastic! I fly a lot because all three of my kids live in different states (Oregon, Kentucky, New York) and I live in Texas. Flying is a totally different and actually enjoyable experience for me now. Happy New Year!

No rumbles. I can eat most anything, but stick mostly to Protein (meats and some beans) and a few veggies if there's room. I'm still getting "stuck" fairly regularly and have to excuse myself to get rid of a piece of chicken or pork that didn't make it all the way down. But I consider that a small price to pay for being able to lose 100 pounds in six months! I'm pretty close to goal, and have my 6-month appointment with my surgeon next week. I'm going to ask him how to expand my diet for maintenance without sliding down any slippery slopes. (In my mind, that means starch and sugar.) Or will my body adjust and find its ideal weight even if I keep eating the way I am now? Don't want to get too thin, but don't want to start gaining either!

You guy's rock! Doing fantastic June sleevers

Down 55 pounds in 6 months! This is one of the best decisions I have made in my life. I wish I had done it years ago. I am 20 pounds from my goal????

June 24th here. Lost 100 pounds by December 24th (exactly 6 months). Love my sleeve!!!

Had my sleeve done June 2, 2014. I have lost 59 pounds so far!!! Finally in a size 10. I tried on a size 8 the other day, and they almost fit. The only thing I can't do yet is zip them up. Anyobne have any suggestions for getting rid of the excess flad under my arms and on my abdomen? I do zumba every week and I have a workout routine I do but just can't seem to lose the flab.
Also, congrats to everyone on their continued success!!!!WTG!!!!!

Thank you for sharing your story. You are an inspiration and it never hurts to read over and over again, how so many of us have abnormal feelings/relationships with food. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the taste of food but many of us turn to food for emotional needs that we are not getting from somewhere, or someone else.
I've also done the easy part....losing 140 lbs. I'm still doing the hard part....sitting in a therapist's office once a week dredging up terrible feelings and memories that I hope eventually help me to not turn to food if/when my life goes a little or a lot off the rails.
I never want to be fat again. Never. And therapy is part of the process for me.

I was 170 pounds overweight and I thought I had tried everything. I had a LAP-BAND for 11 years, during which I lost and regained 130 pounds. The LAPBAND was ready to do its' job, but I was not ready to do mine. This is the story of how I embraced, life, living, healthy food and exercise, and finally shed 170 pounds 8 years into my LAPBAND journey. From needing a "walker" to climbing America's tallest mountain in 2 years, this is my story.


Food was my way of comforting myself and relieving stress for as far back into my childhood as I can remember. There was alcohol and violence in my childhood home and I needed comfort. There was no human source for it so I created a source for it.

Food "hugged me" and made me feel safer. In an environment with stressors beyond my control. I had a small something I could easily access to sooth myself. It was my mind deciding what to eat for comfort and it was my hand lifting the food to my mouth. I was in the driver's seat regarding something in my life and body, even if I wasn't safe in my home. Food was my best friend, provided comfort and gave me a way to manage even a small part of my life.

By my teens, my chubby appearance morphed into actually being significantly overweight. At the age of 12, I jumped from a women's size 12 to size 18 and never looked back. By the age of 20, soon after my mother's death, I was a size 26 and 330 pounds. In my 30s, I lost 130 pounds too rapidly and much of my hair by binging and purging and in my 40s, I again lost 130 pounds after LAP-BAND Weight Loss Surgery in 2003.

But because I had not done the emotional, internal work on my relationship with food and childhood trauma, my food addiction shifted to liquid calories I could easily pass through the LAP-BAND, which is common. At this time, for the first time in my life, I developed an alcohol problem and my dinner each night was a six pack of "vodka coolers" followed by a pint of low-fat ice cream for dessert.

Nutrition was the last thought on my mind and my focus was on comfort calories that could pass through "the band." By 2006, all the weight I lost was back. I also continued to eat solid foods that would force me to vomit and caused my esophagus to become distended. When a LAP-BAND patient doesn't respect the "full" signals the body sends to the brain and continues to eat, the esophagus becomes a storage place for excess food and the esophagus stretches. This made the LAP-BAND useless and while it is still in my body, it no longer functions properly.

At the same time, during the last 20 years, I developed back problems from bulging discs related to the weight I was carrying. I began using opiates under a doctor's supervision to combat pain and muscle spasms in my back and in my knees that resulted in five knee surgeries. At first, I viewed the opiates as a wonderful tool as they relieved or masked some of the pain and also provided an emotional high. Soon I was using the opiates for emotional reasons more than for pain and as my tolerance for them grew, I needed larger doses to get the same effect. Then I needed to graduate to a stronger form of opiate and that is when, 10 years ago, I began taking Oxycodone and OxyContin around the clock along with Flexeril for muscle spasms.

Sitting for long periods became unbearable and I was forced to leave my career as a Court Paralegal and qualified for "permanent disability." I cried as I left the hearing in which I was declared disabled. I didn't want to be disabled but felt it must be true for a judge to decide it was. It was 2010 and I believed my life was essentially over. At 50 years old I was simply waiting to slowly die. I believed all my happy days were behind me.

When my doctor suggested I try yoga before we take the drastic step of implanting electrodes in my spine for the pain, I began attending a very gentle yoga class for people with disabilities. Slowly, over a two year period, I began to build stronger core muscles which made the back spasms less severe and less frequent.

But I continued to take the opiates because by then I had an emotional and chemical dependence on them. During this time, I was diagnosed with sleep Apnea which was caused by the opiates and excess weight. Opiates disrupt the brains signals to the lungs and suppress the respiratory drive.

On top of this - physical pain, addiction and emotional unhappiness - I was also caring for my father with Alzheimer's. Although in a safe and loving group home, I still felt responsible for my father's well-being and comfort. I was his only family within 3000 miles. As so often happens when caring for a loved-one, we stop caring for ourselves in every sense.

Soon after my father's death in 2012, I developed pneumonia because my breathing became so inconsistent that my lungs filled with Fluid. I realized at that point I needed to change everything about my life including losing the weight and decreasing, even eliminating, my use of opiates or else I would die. At that moment, in the hospital in 2012, the desire to live was sparked in me by the threat of death!

After leaving the hospital, for 60 days, I detoxed and experienced cold sweats, tremors and anxiety as the opiates slowly left my bloodstream. Once I was drug-free, I began making small, sustainable changes to my diet and gradually increasing amounts of movement. (Yes, that means exercise!) Over the following 18 months, my weight dropped from a high of 333 pounds down to 185. As a 6'3" tall woman this is a healthy, lean weight for me.

In 2013, I decided then to give myself the gift of nearly full-body plastic surgery. Since I was already severely overweight in my teens, at a time of life when many young girls look their best and enjoy being pretty, I decided "it is never too late to have a happy childhood." During an 11-hour surgery, 13 pounds of skin was removed from my abdomen, buttocks, back, chest and under arms. For the first time since the age of 12, no part of my belly and buttocks continue to jiggle when I stop walking, no part of me droops and my thighs do not rub together. The Sleep Apnea is gone and I now climb mountains instead of grabbing railings to pull myself up stairs! But the hardest mountain I've ever climbed was a "metaphorical mountain" in those first few weeks of starting to change my relationships with food and drugs, as well as beginning to move.

I am enjoying a lovely renaissance in a healthy, lean, strong and coincidentally beautiful body. However, this transformation has not been about beauty. My goals are continued health and a desire to live with passion, and about choosing to do more than survive. I am driven from an internal source to live a vibrant, full life of joy so I can continue to enjoy the love of family and friends and so they needn't lose me to obesity and addiction.

This photo (above) was taken on the highest mountain in the 48 contiguous United States, Mount Whitney. After 10 hours of climbing 6,134 feet to an elevation of 14,508 feet covering 11 miles, I summited at 2:00 pm and like every part of my weight-loss, fitness and "reclamation of life" journey, I did it!

Yet, like during every aspect of my journey I had partners. My partners knew the lay of the land, my strength and challenges. I surrounded myself with people who knew how to help me get where I wanted to go. Physical and mental health professionals who coached me to express my full potential. What mountains will you climb in your life and who will help you get there? Build your team, including here at BariatricPal, and there is no "mountain" you cannot climb!

My date was 6/12/14 went in at 301pd now I'm 252pd
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before
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! I was depressed at first but now I'm dealing, I guess. Not at the point where I would say, 'this is the best thing I could have done'.

I think I can officially say I will NEVER go above 200 again.
Sleeved 6/10, lost over 4 pounds last week to a low of 193. Total loss 37.
I have been having carby cravings and more times than not, losing the battle. Small losses but still not stuff that's on my approved list.

I was June 18 and in a two-week stall for a time there. Then, this past week we went to San Francisco for a family wedding. I walked A LOT more than I thought I would--5 miles around Fisherman's Wharf all told one day--averaged 3-4 miles the other days. Eating? I had little bites of appetizers or parts of things, stayed close to the Protein stuff--4 bites. I discovered I love S'bucks iced coffee, and generally tried to be good, but I'm not gonna lie, I had a couple of bites of wedding cake. So, I was good, but not perfect.
Got on the scale last last night when we got back from the airport. Gone 6 days. Down 3 pounds.
Maybe mixing it up a bit helps. Also, I was SO HAPPY to be in SF and at this wedding. My husband and I used to live there--so re-connecting with old friends and the family was fab. Just saying taking time out of THE DREADED STALL--focusing and fretting about that--to have some FUN probably didn't hurt.
Total down now--31 pounds.

Figured I would share my update. Sleeved June 3rd and weighed in at 305 lbs. Today July 29th 56 days later and I weighed in at 255. Booyaa 50 lbs gone so far! No secrets or magic, just following the guidelines I was given. My typical day is way different than most I read on here, but it seems to be working, so I'll stick with it. My calorie intake is 550-650 per day. And over 300 of that is from Protein Shakes. Plus according to my fitness pal and fitbit, I am burning 500 plus calories per day by walking. I have a nice big 3 scoop shake everymorning to start the day. Then I walk for 1 hour, no if ands or buts about it, 1 hour. lunch is usualy some canned tuna with mustard and a boiled egg mashed up together (about 1 ounce). Or an ounce of baked talipia. Plus another 30 minutes of walking. Supper is the same thing, tuna or baked talipia. Never more than 1.5 ounces, because I can't eat any more than that. I have been trying to incorporate some salad in with Supper. But it is very minimal. Just not able to fit any in. Water consumption is off the charts. I drink 150 plus ounce's of water a day, everyday. I track everything on my fitness pal and use a fitbit to keep track of my steps and active minutes per day. I did try to go one day where I ate more and tried to get my Protein from food. Damn near killed me. I was not able to eat enough to get in the 80-100 grams of protein. And felt 'sick' / overstuffed all day. Daily averages are 80-100 grams of protein, and 20 or less on the carbs. Plus the Vitamins recommended by the doctor.

Hey everyone! I am 5 weeks post op tomorrow! I have a pic id like to post. I know I have lost weight but since I see myself everyday I don't really realize how much. I'm so proud of myself! I'm started off at 315 last oct. I lost weight before my surgery to 271. Now I'm 5 weeks post op and I'm 231.2!!


Erica

For myself being 235 lbs over weight means that when I lose 50 ... I can't expect people to really notice. On the other hand, I'm down to 5x shirt size, I'm wearing work clothes that I couldn't almost 6 years ago, I have to wear suspenders so that I can wear some of my trousers just a little while longer, I'm down in daily meds, I can walk again! THIS IS MY EFFICACY!
This journey is mine! I covet support and put myself in a position to get as much as I can ... the odd schmuck comment is just an obstacle that can best be described as sooo much better than the fat comments from before.
WE ARE WINNERS

I had my 1 month follow up visit with my surgeon yesterday. I am very happy to report that combining my strict dieting for 1 month pre-op, and 35 days post-op I have said goodbye to 71 pounds. Thank you sleeve, I think I love you!

I read a post from my phone that inspired me to write this... but I can't find the post so I am starting a new thread!
So many share incredible transformation stories - and that post mentioned people who pose in bikinis (raising hand here) to show off this transformation. We all Celebrate and say "wow" and all that great stuff.... but how does it make people feel who have more "average" results, not quite getting to goal, maybe not doing plastics etc so they don't feel as "wowed" by their transformations.
I want to say something about this. i reviewed some progress photos and looked long and hard at the ones where I weighed about 190... I started at over 300# so it was a big difference. at 5'5" I was still overweight at 190, but you know, I was "pretty good". It's very hard to not feel a certain pressure to succeed in the way that others define it, but truth is this is our own journey and not someone elses. If I had stopped at maintained at 190 or thereabouts... or even in the 170s... I really met my most important goals. Improved health, no more sleep apnea, no more high blood pressure, could hike and ride more easily and could shop at normal sized stores.
BTW, as far as attention from the opposite gender, it was definately MORE when I weighed around 160-170 range then my current weight of 140. I have no idea why... but it is the truth.
From a quality of life perspective - getting down to my current weight did not really improve it much more. We need to define our own success and not let the excitement of the success story board make you feel like you aren't successful.
Lets be honest, statistically, many of us reporting getting down to that elusive "goal" will regain a few pounds or 20 over the coming years. I don't plan on that, but it is a very common occurance.
I want to give a shout out to all of you who have had amazing success even if your BMI is still over 25. Think about how far you have come and how much you have improved your life! also, look around, the average person has gotten bigger over the decades and someone in the 25-30 BMI range is considered pretty average size now.
congrats to all of us for taking control of our health and fitness!!!!

Well, I'm about a week and a half away from my one year surgery anniversary. My starting weight was 387 pounds. When I got on the scales this morning for my weekly weigh in an whala the scale told me that I weighed 196 pounds. That's 200 pounds in about one year. I am so stoked. I went for years being obese, adding more and more co morbidities, adding more drugs, for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiomyopathy, kidney disease and not to mention chronic back pain and COPD. Now with one year in my sights, literally all of these problems are either gone or remission.
I am so thankful for my surgical team, my wife and children and the support of my co workers for my success.
I wish you all continued success in your weight loss journey.
Mark, Edmond Ok

I have lost 70 pounds. I started at 285 and now I'm 215.

(continued from above)
Relationships, Life, Emotional Issues: I used to be a major emotional eater. One of the reasons I had the VSG when I did was because of worrying about how big I would get during clerkship (I was in medical school at the time). I was probably the ONLY one of my classmates who actually got into BETTER shape during clerkship. I very rarely emotionally eat. When I do - maybe once every 3 months - I just acknowledge it and give myself a break. I can afford to have 1/3 pint of Haagen Dazs now and we all slip sometimes.
I still get occasional flack from my mother about my surgery, because she's an idiot, but overall, everyone who knows has been supportive since. Everyone agrees I look amazing regardless. After spending my childhood and teenage/young adult years being called "fatty," "BBW," fat cow" and having obscenities and insults yelled at me by men driving by, i's very weird to be known as "Six Pack Sally" at my gym and to have multiple people say things like "I wish I looked like you" or "What's your secret? I want your body!" I just thank people and tell them it's hard work (which is true!)
I get TONS of attention from men. That was a bit of an adjustment, remembering how poorly I was treated as a fat woman before. I was quite angry about it for a while, but now I just roll with it and use my appearance to my advantage. People treat me so much better and I can get away with all sorts of special treatment. I have to say that I was worried about women treating me poorly after my looks improved, but even women treat me so much better these days. I also carry myself with more confidence. I am a physician and am often in charge of a large team. I have no problem placing myself in the position of authority or confronting someone anymore and people respect me and follow my orders, regardless of what they might choose to say behind my back - I wouldn't know! Part of it is the weightloss, part of it is Crossfit. Interestingly, one of my supervisors recently wrote in my evaluation that I am "a strong advocate for a healthy lifestyle." Imagine that!
I was in a serious relationship at the time of my VSG. We continued to be together for about 1.5 years after. As I got into Crossfit and healthy eating, my partner who is a naturally skinny-fat but unfit person became quite upset with me. He would insult my girlfriends from the gym saying they looked like men (even though they are all quite feminine, IMO!), tell me things like "Live a little!" if I said I didn't want dessert, he behaved like an ass when I took him to my gym in an effort to have him meet my friends and hopefully get into exercising regularly, etc. I eventually broke it off because of that and other factors, but his attitude towards my healthy lifestyle and my goals was certainly a major consideration.
I am now married to a guy who is a bit overweight but quite built. He really likes exercise and I'm working on getting him to lose weight.
(continued)

Well, I got tired of walking and exercising in front of my TV, so I joined 24 Hour Fitness yesterday and went for my first workout today! I was so nervous going in, but quickly saw all the different body shapes and ages. Yes, there were some buffed out guys lifting weights, but they paid no attention to me. Tomorrow I'm going to take the aqua class (it's one of the Super Sports Centers, so they have everything) and next Tuesday I get my free orientation so I can learn all about the big, scary machines, LOL!
Anyway, I'm excited for this next new phase in my weight loss journey!