bella328i

Haven't checked in on here for awhile now. Great to see how well everyone is doing! Here is my progress. First pic is one week before surgery (5-28 surgery) and second pic is last Friday.

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I think a lot of us probably do!! But bravo to you for only eating Protein. I need to be better about that.

I flew without a seatbelt extender. The lap band fit in coach! Bam NSV!
Love the clothes shopping experience and playing with the little one! Congrats to you both!! Everyone else What nsv's are you guys having?

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.

I agree with you. My weakness was carbs and my diet weaknesses were Pasta, nachos, pizza... see a theme? Carbs loaded with melted cheese. I'm so grateful that this surgery removed most of my hunger and food cravings. Right now, I'm good with Protein and as long as it lasts, I'm going to keep it up. Some day I'll have a nacho again but, since I know the foods full of empty calories are where I might overeat, I'll hold off for now. This is major surgery, and what I consider my last chance to have a healthy, slimmer body. I don't want to mess it up by giving in to non-protein foods too early. I did have a little piece of watermelon yesterday and it tasted sooooo good. Now, that bite was a treat!
That said, I'm still eating too fast. That's been the hardest bad habit to unlearn.

I think everyone goes through that little moment of regretting their decision. It's only natural. Finally reality sets in and u realize that u don't really regret it, u just miss pigging out on everything...which was the reason we got this done in the 1st place! Lol. It will pass....trust me.

food was like the bad boyfriend...he drew you in, but really did not make life better. He lied and chested and made you feel like crap. Click on my profile to see my transformation ... excess food never made me feel this good.

I sometimes miss food, he was my best friend! But then I look in the mirror and see the 80lb transformation four months later, the absence of discrimination, and wearing clothes I've saved for 10 years, I don't regret any of it. It's awkward in social settings because everything social seems to revolve around food and alcohol, but I love the new me. I miss my 'ol pal Ronald McDonald, just like I miss my ex-wife. We had some good times, but they both could care less about me!

I know how you feel... the other night as I was eating some broccoli and chicken with Protein cheese sauce over it, I realized that I was only eating it for the fuel, not because of the taste. That was a big revelation for me; I'm now "eating to live" rather than "living to eat". And that's how it should be!

Congrats on your accomplishments.. 34 pounds in 8 weeks is great. ..my philosophy is do the right thing and the weight loss will follow sooner or later.

LOL thats great keep up the great work and I agree its a task to eat now I have to remind myself. I am still working on drinking all the Water requirements but I am almost there. Also have you notices how your tastebuds have changed, things things that I used to love I cant tolerate, anything with cheese in it hurts my stomach as well as pizza sauce, I stick mainly now to tuna fish and chicken only. My coworkers call me skinny now which is amazing, I look forward to getting down to 160, I have had two stalls since surgery but I know that as long as I am getting in my Protein I am doing well. I look forward to reading your updates.

I am about 4 1/2 weeks out, and the worst part for me is......The vitamins!! It makes me nauseated to simply look at the container they are in.

I am 7 weeks out and I think every phase so far has had a difficult part. After surgery is hard with the weight gain from the IV's in the hospital and the liquid stage, not to mention the reflux. Not drinking while eating has been difficult for me. Now that I have more tolerance for food sticking with 70% Protein and 30% vegetable has been more difficult. At this point I sometimes mourn food. You go to your favorite restaurant, you order and you can literally only eat 3 bites of it. Sometimes I find I just want to eat my food. Also, eating too fast. Hard to make 3 bites last a half hour! Overall it has been worth it though.

Hmmm definitely mourning gorging myself - although that's what got me in this mess in the first place and is quickly overcome when you can get onto normal food. Be careful not to graze though. It's easy to graze on things you like. It takes a helluvalot of willpower not to.
Acid reflux. It sucks monkeys balls.
bread -I am still an addict. Couldn't give a rats about pasta/rice/potatoes. Bread? I still adore it and can sadly still eat it.
Alcohol. I can still drink a pint of carbonated cider or Guinness. I drink too many of them. If I didn't, I might be a bit lighter than I am now.
Other than that.. My butt is considerably smaller. I can run. I wear smaller clothes. I have PCOS of which the symptoms have eased. I'm not half as sick as I was before the surgery.
There are some hard bits.. It does take willpower. The honeymoon period doesn't last forever...
But.. it is all sooooooooooooooo worth it.

I drink while I eat and I haven't had any issues. I really tried to not drink and eat at the same time and this lasted maybe a month. Ultimately, maybe you will have better results if you follow the rules to the letter, but not being able to sip something while I eat for the rest of my life wasn't something I was willing to give up and it's worked out ok for me.
That being said, my doctor told me that the reason was that Fluid flushes food through your sleeve faster so you will be able to eat more, sooner, than would be the case if your food was allowed to digest without the help of extra Fluid.< /p>

You're doing great!
If I had to do it all over again, I'd chuck the scale. It's bad for your soul. Your body is going to lose weight at it's own pace, not necessarily when your brain thinks it should. Taking your measurements, take pictures and watch your clothes get looser and looser.
I can also tell you - I had a goal weight in mind. I can tell you that I'm a smaller size at a higher weight than when I was younger - I attribute that to fat loss. So, what I'm saying is don't get hung up on the numbers the scale is telling you.
For your exercise, if your doctor OK's it, start weight training. I"m not talking bulking up - low weight/high reps, push-ups, sit ups, planks, squats, etc. You can use your body weight as resistance if you don't want to go to the gym and use their machines. Your muscles will burn more calories. It will also be good for your mental well being.
Stop weighing every day - weigh once a week or so. If you need to eventually go back to weighing every day. But right now, your body is still trying to figure out what you just did to it.
Best of luck to you!

Habsi thank god I'm not the only one! I was aweful this weekend. Liquids only today!

I think a bunch are on Facebook so don't post here also anymore. It's a lot to post everything twice. I still check this page daily as well as Facebook.

I know slot of ppl seem to have vanished ... I love reading how ppl are getting on and updates etc

True That! I soooo look forward to that! Just had surgery so I have will have to wait to be comfortable with pictures taken of me.

I have mentioned before how i find it difficult to eat slowly and think i pain i get just above where my stomach starts is because of eating to fast however this really does my head in even at nearly 6 mths out. So my question is when we have the gastric sleeve the only dynamics that change is the size of our stomach not where the food exits the esoephgus into the stomach, so if we measure why do we have to eat slow???
Would appreciate anyones reply but interested to here from vets when and if they can eat at a relatively normal pace and how far out you were....
I would feel so much better to eat my 'normal' pace

Very, very, very normal behavior. You must remember that someone went in there and cut out 85% of your stomach. Wouldn't you be a little monsterish. I know I was. Not to mention all the crap they put into your body. It has to come out and of course they put air in your system to blow it up so that they could get to your stomach. Soon you will get gas. And air coming out of both ends and then diarrhea. then you will be able to drink more and then you need G2 to help with Electrolytes, or coconut Water.
And on and on. Don't forget buyers remorse....Some fun eh Bambi!!!!!
Just don't let it get you too upset. It will all pass. And soon you will be lovin your sleeve. I promise!!!!!!!

You look fantastic. I was always the photographer of the family mainly for not wanting to be in the pictures. Maybe that will change once I lose more,.

As I just returned from a family reunion, I realized I took pictures of everyone there, and have not a single one of myself, as usual. The difference is I look great (old but great)!! I am going to make a concerted effort to change my behaviour and get in the pictures and I hope you do the same. I am so used to running away from being photographed, but I want to remind everyone to get yourselves in front of the camera and be proud of who you are today and how you got there. It wasn't easy, the decision, the preop, the surgery, the nervousness, and the postop.