devint

I am five months out and now considering going in for a new prescription. I have far sightedness and astigmatism and everything past the front of my car is out of focus. Makes driving fun. I'm reading on the forums this is very common. If it were me I would wait cause it would be awful to have to get it done twice. Good luck!

Hi everyone! Thanks for all the well wishes. They worked! I am now feeling a LOT better, dare I say "normal." I am down 65 lbs from surgery and I am really happy with what that looks like on my body. NSVs that made me smile include... Other day, we pulled up to the bus stop as the bus was at the corner but there was a line of about 10 cars. i jumped out and started running full on towards the bus with my 7 year old daughter. She yelled, "HOLD UP MOM I CANT RUN THAT FAST!" I was not out of breath and wheezing when I arrived at the end of the block. I've been demoted from "Womens" to "Misses" section aka 85% of clothing stores are open to me now, not just Lane Bryant, Catherines and Avenue (none of which I really like the style of.) I also do not have to purchase specially sized bras that cost $50 a piece. Had to buy an anniversary ring in my current size to hold my other rings off cause they literally were falling off. Darn, more jewelry. A Male coworker, married and platonically friendly, saw me washing my soup bowl in the kitchen and said "DANG you have lost a lot of weight! What is your secret?" "High protein, low carb!" What made me smile more than usual is he only saw my back side to make him say that I have collarbones and a dip at the bottom of my neck. They are concave. That's new.

As others mentioned, everyone is different.... but for me I'm four months out from a sleeve now and I didn't notice I had shrunk a size until about month 2. Dresses are also very forgiving, meaning it won't be super obvious if you wear it one or even two sizes down. If it's huge/tent, throw a neat belt on it ( I KNOW the idea of a belt seems so weird to me but it works on my oversized work shirts now) I say use it for both and get ready for an awesome ride through "I'm excited to figure out how to make my clothes look good through my awesome weight loss" journey. Very happy for you.

I don't have a good way to dial-in to a calorie target, other than realize your body is always going to be dynamic with this and require you to respond to what it's doing at the time. It will require a lot of change as you drop weight. But I'd like to throw in there that myself and others on the boards here swear by focusing on the grams of macronutrients as a better way to gauge nutritional success than calories. To your point, if you just eat higher calories in carbs that may not be what your body needs. This includes keeping up discipline and program when a stall happens, cause there's really nothing anyone can do to prevent that from happening at some point. Best of luck on finding what works for you.

always recommend talking to your doc about it, see if you can duplicate it at your next appt. He knows your insides better than anyone at this point. For me this type of pain could happen for a variety of reasons. I would recommend experimenting a bit with the following things and see what works for you. Too big of a sip liquid too hot or too cold Using a straw Drinking something that's been through the blender aka had air infused it in Drinking too close in time after I've eaten (and if it's close enough its more than pain it's puking) Drinking something when my stomach is completely empty and I should be hungry And alcohol does this for me too so I'm avoiding it for the most part. The top of my stomach is now like a funnel so often times it makes weird dinosaur sounding gurgling noises. And if i push it too much, then I'll get the pain because of the back up in my esophagus. Hope this helps you understand some possibilities. Hope you figure out what it is for you.

@@boccob81 I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. It sounds like all your food choices, even the ones that have you worried, are still way different than the food choices you used to make. And I saw the last round of pics you posted, you're seeing big time results. I hope you can stay positive and present and focus on each moment, for me that's a big struggle but when I do well with that the food things fall into place. @@4andcounting thanks i am feeling better but using antispasmodic and pain meds intermittently. Good news is being on the Fluid diet again really helps shedding weight like crazy and I know it's not dehydration. But I am not even close on my Protein goals, but i'm not gonna beat myself up over it. I'm trying to focus on doing small things for myself to keep spirits up (like even painting my nails-small), and also focusing on some new hobbies/projects a little more (like decorating the house and preparing crafts for girl scouts.) I'm done feeling like weight loss and my surgery/health deserves center stage in my attention at all times. While still trying to take care of myself obviously in that arena, its nice to invest in other things too as a mood pick-me-up.

Hi Kelly, congrats on starting your journey!! I'm around the same height as you, and about 4 months post op. I've lost four dress sizes so far so the tricky part has been acquiring new clothes through swaps, thrifts and good ol fashion retail therapy. Do you have any questions about what to expect? Or are you worried about anything in particular?

I am 4 months out and have had some complications that have gotten me in the dumps from time to time and also slowed my weight loss. But seeing your success is really inspiring me to keep my eyes on the prize. NIGHT AND DAY wow not only are you objectively beautiful but it's like you glow happiness from inside out. Congrats and keep it going!

Friend from my dr support group had to wait 3 months. For myself, I had my gallbladder out 10 weeks after my sleeve, not quite the same situation as you, but I did feel like I didn't even get a chance to get better before I got cut again. Hopefully after whatever waiting period, you feel strong and healthy to take on the next round of snip snip. Take care of yourself!

Congratulations! I can't wait for you to have to get a bumper for your set, that was a big deal for me. I told hubby he was just going to have to get me an anniversary ring to hold the others on cause at 4 months post op I lost 2 full ring sizes. Good luck in your journey!

Don't let fear of roadblocks keep you from pursuing your decision. The fact that you were a smoker and have asthma is only one complication, where as there are many on here that started at a far worse position than you and have had lots of success. You are already making a great step by quitting, it's not like that damage will be there for forever. I quit 7 years ago after smoking 2 packs a day for about 4 years and my lungs are now squeaky clean according to cat scan. The biggest issue is to be sure to be honest and open with your dr's and anesthetist about it, and they will advise you on what if anything special needs to be done. You have a lot of good things going for you though! At 23 you have youth on your side and that goes IMMENSELY in your favor in terms of bounce back and recovery. And you are reaching out here for support and advice. Keep that up and good luck to you!

Doc's advice is gonna be best because there's so many reasons you could be blacking out. And very few of them are "not a big deal." In my experience, I haven't completely blacked out but I've gotten sick to my stomach and then extreme dizziness like to where I've fallen or stumbled when I stand up quickly or change positions quickly. This is due to my "postural hypotension" my blood pressure drops rapidly when I go from rest to activity quickly. This is exacerbated by being dehydrated for me, which I find I often am post-op. I'm 4 months out and have had this ever since surgery. Until your doc can give you a better idea, I would focus on taking extra care of yourself, lots of rest, lots of fluids, easy on the hard work around the house, making sure you get your Protein and your Vitamins and just focus on supporting your overall health as much as possible. Hoping you feel better and get a good understanding of this soon.

Two nights ago, I ended up in the emergency room with shallow breath, cold sweats and pain in my stomach worse than when I came out of surgery. I thought I was having a heart attack or that i blew a hole in my stomach somehow. It was terrifying. I had felt off the whole day and only had 2 tbsp of canned green Beans for dinner, so it wasn't a "stuck" situation. Turns out after EKG and Cat Scan, and despite me being on protonix daily, it was an "acid attack." Now I'm on low acid liquids only for a week to see if that helps me even out. I wanted to let you all know in case you (heaven forbid) experience something like that. No shame in getting to the doc to get medicine to help. Also they ran me through a bunch of bloodwork to check my overall health, and it's good to know that all came back normal and healthy (except Vitamin D but everyones low on D.) Despite this and my previous gallbladder complication, I'm still really glad that I got sleeved. I'm ready to feel well again, for sure. But still no regrets on choosing this path to get healthy.

I'm just going based off my own experience, but I would ask your bariatric doctor where your daily carb intake should be. I understand being diabetic complicates things, but rice, potatoes, and oatmeal are things i'm not supposed to have at all. Maybe a revisit to the dietician who did your preop? Also, think back to the last time you lost 44 lbs in four months "the old fashioned way." You're still way ahead of the curve with your progress compared to traditional methods. I hope it all works out and that your long term success is well worth the struggle you're going through now.

Hi there. I am 4 months post-sleeve and 2 months post gallbladder removal. I'll share with you from my experience at least, but as someone mentioned talk to your doctor cause there ARE medicines to help. I started experiencing the diarrhea pretty much right after my GB was taken out and it comes and goes. I was told by my doc that my body is going to take some time, probably a few months, to get used to a constant drip of bile now being inserted directly into my intestine. Now that the GB is gone, that used to hold bile and wait for fatty food to come down the path and then GB would squeeze the bile out to digest the fat down. Now without that "reservoir" the bile is constantly dripping like a faucet directly into my intestine. Unfortunately I couldn't find many online articles about wls and gb removal so it took me a while to figure out why this is a problem and what I can do to mitigate. If too much bile is in the intestines for the fat content that is there (I'm sure you can relate: I'm afraid to eat cause I'm afraid of whats gonna happen so I go extra long between meals), the extra bile causes my intestines to become like a slick no matter what i eat, bam diarrhea. If I eat too much, meaning a meal that makes me feel uncomfortably stuffed with my tiny tummy, there is too much food/fat content in my intestines for the amount of bile that's there and then the food passes through undigested and bam diarrhea. This is especially true for me when it's a fattier meal (good or bad fats, Peanut Butter gets me sometimes) and/or if it's a meal late at night say after 6pm. So for me... 1. eat something nutritious every three hours tops regardless of if i'm having diarrhea now or not. If i don't eat now i'll be in misery later. 2. stay away from food with over 30% fat versus Protein and carbs. supposed to focus on protein anyway. 3. drink fluids, i can't get dehydrated or then i lose all appetite and the will to fight. 4. instead of imodium, i take an antispasmodic prescription medicine my doc prescribed that's often used to treat irritable bowel syndrome. Imodium dries out the stool whereas the antispasmodic stops the cramping and binding so its a lot more effective for me. I'm clinging onto the hope that this is a temporary adjustment, and have seen many people say anywhere from 3 to 6 months things "even out." Hope this helps and take care of yourself.

I had a 3 week stall that I just broke here late last week. I had lost 68 lbs and then i actually gained about 2 or 3 back (panic!), it was weird. And fluctuated within a 3 lb mark for 3 weeks. I wish there was a magic trick that I knew would work to tell you, but I wouldn't recommend doing what I did... catching a nasty head cold/flu that had me losing fluids! So I lost some just from being sick, but I took a day off work, rested and kept drinking over 100 oz of fluids a day (I wasn't eating anything solid except bananas per doc) and that "rebooted" me. Some veterans swear by the "sleeve test" which is to go back to through each stage of post op diet over a week. I still think it's way to early for anyone to have to resort to this in my personal opinion. I am encouraged by thinking 1) I still have lost more weight this way than ever before and I'm at my lowest adult weight of my life (sad that it's not even in onederland!) and 2) our bodies are losing weight so fast that it's literally traumatic to our overall system (thats why i'm going bald! but its ok) so cut your body a break and try to limit expectations and just enjoy the journey for what it is.

I need a smile break. Anyone have any recent NSVs (non-scale victories) to share?

Broke my 2 1/2 week stall today. Do have a case of the flu though. I literally feel like I've been sick and fatigued ever since I got sleeved and I'm so ready to feel "normal" again. What are you doing in terms of exercise nowadays? Any favorite recipes to share?

As always follow the plan your dietician gave you. BUT for me, I am 3 months out from a vsg and I have a heck of a cold right now. I've been eating a soup made exactly like chicken noodle, except no noodles. I throw in just a bit of corn or potato instead, just enough to compensate for the fact this is the only solids i'm putting in. For me, the veggie starches are way better tolerated and surprisingly tasty.

3 months with VSG: I thought I'd be frugal, smart and time-saving to alter in my best work pants instead of buying new ones. I mean it's only two sizes, shouldn't be a big deal. After I got done taking them in 7", the two back pockets were only an inch apart from each other at the butt seam! And the legs looked like parachute pants, HAMMER TIME! It looked ridiculous! But at least seeing that made hubby realize it's time for me to go clothes shopping for real lol. I've also stepped out of my shoes (double wides) at work multiple times. I didn't think about the fact that my feet would shrink too. Once I was walking quickly to the bathroom and it happened right in front of the ceo's office! So awkward to slowly walk backwards a couple steps, wiggle my foot back into my flat, and then scurry away hoping he didn't notice.

Hi everyone, been a while for me. I'm down 48 from surgery, 70 overall, and 2 sizes in clothes. Grateful for my sewing machine, I haven't had to buy much new but been doing a lot of alterations. Because of my gallbladder removal on Aug 11th (that went well thank goodness, minus incisions refusing to heal fast) I am still on exercise restriction, but I can eat "what I want" aka regular sleeve maintenance food again. I can get back to lifting weights and vigorous exercise next Thursday. I have been getting about 60 grams of protein, the min my dr recommends, and I'm fighting to stay hydrated. I've also reintroduced coffee back into my life (boo bad me!), and that has helped with my low blood pressure. I was dipping to 92/60 sometimes and any lower means a trip to the ER. I've been in a week and a half stall, during which my hair loss has increased significantly. My dr said because of the repeated gallbladder attacks, my body is under severe stress mode and regardless of what I do I'm going to be losing hair, breaking nails, bad skin, and worst brain fog and fatigue, for the next three months at least. It literally feels like I got pushed back to month 1 after the sleeve in terms of how i physically feel. So in the middle of all that, I thought, I haven't read the forums for a while. Time to check in and get accountable and get inspired so thanks ya'll!

Hi everyone, My husband and I spent the weekend shopping and cleaning out our closets. We have the following available for free plus you pay cost of shipping from the Washington DC area. PM me for details, haven't taken pics of everything but can if needed. With our old sizes being big, and us knowing exactly how much new clothes cost, we want to offer them to others in the sleeve journey before giving to generic charity. If you can use any of these or know someone who could, let me know because I am cross posting to Facebook etc. Men's: Five button up shirts for tie/suit, size 20 by 36/37: white, medium blue, two white with light pin stripes, palest lilac color Women's: Size 24: business suits, one black one button, one gray with pink pin stripe one button, one light tan, one hunter green, one peach jacket brown bottoms, one gray with many small buttons as detail on jacket and with skirt bottom, one black with blue pin stripe (my "power" suit) All suits have been hemmed at a petite leg length, but have the material in there to be let back out. Some have small repairs either made or to be made to the polyester liner unnoticeable to the outside, but hey it's free. Size 24 dresses, two cocktail dresses, one above knee black lace over beige satin, second blue flowers on black like a brocade print A line hits below knee. One hot pink one shouldered satin bridesmaid gown full length with bodice rouching (don't laugh too much plz one white dress knee length with purple lilac large print with matching waist belt. Many sweaters size 2x, 3x and size 24. Many button up women's shirts from lane bryant with rouching at the bust button area, pastels and jewel tones. Jackets: one tan and one black short sleeve jacket with waist belt, meant as a spring or early fall fashion jacket

I just broke 240 today and weighed in at 239.2, down from 300 april 1st and down 49 from surgery. I'm in a size 20, down from size 26. My hands and feet are shrinking too! Moving right along. While I was on vacation last two weeks we got family photos taken so once we get the proofs i'll hopefully post before and afters. Vacation was brutal on my eating habits and i got really dehydrated but been back a week or so and things are back to normal routine. Gallbladder removal is next Wednesday and I'm thankful, trying to eat low carb and low fat doesn't leave much to eat. Wish me luck, it's outpatient so hoping the pain is nothing compared to vsg.

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?

For food choices, I eat when I'm hungry (not often enough) but I always choose to eat high protein. I find its harder to carboload if you are protein focused (unless you eat cans and cans of beans). I don't do meal plans in advance but I've just found a routine that includes greek yogurt, lots of chicken, deli meat, cheese sticks and a protein shake a day. I've stopped tracking on mfp the last two weeks and regret it, although I haven't steered too far off my routine I established while on it. It conditions me to make good choices when I'm "off the clock." I literally can't believe that in 2 days it will be 8 weeks for me, it seems like it was both "just yesterday" and that I've been living this way my whole life cause I feel "normal." I am feeling cheated because I wish I could "enjoy" the benefit of being able to start strength training/lifting more than 20 lbs and eating "no restrictions on texture" as tolerated that comes with the 8 week mark. But both of those are being held up by my necessary gallbladder removal surgery, scheduled for Aug 13th. After that it's another 3 days of liquids and then another month of "taking it easy" as my abdominal openings heal back up again. Good news is they can reuse three of my scars (bonus? I guess?) Tomorrow I am going on a two week vacation to the inlaws, who happen to be professional photographers. So the confidence I'm getting from being two sizes down should really show up in some family and professional head shots we're going to have done. I've been sneaking out at lunch time with some stash cash and have picked up about 4 new shirts and a new pair of jeans so I'm feeling pretty good about how I look; it's hard to remember I'm still clearly morbidly obese (and yes spandex leggings are still NOT a good choice) because to my own eyes I look and feel great! Today I'm 244, that is uncharted territory for me as an adult can't remember being below 250. The only historical weight I remember as being accurate was 10th grade/15 years old 225lbs (sized for band uniforms, awkward), and 5th grade/11 years old 155 lbs (I remember because this was the age I started to lie about my weight because I started to become embarrassed about it; crazy how impactful that decision point was)