melissaingr

Yes! Totally stands for Grand Rapids. Thank you!

Just wondering how my fellow May 2014 sleevers are doing. We're almost at a year. How many pounds are you down? Are you sticking to your diet? Still losing? Are you being active? What has changed the most for you since surgery? How are you feeling? Like a new person or still coming to terms with your new self? I'm doing well. Still losing, slowly now. I'm down to a weight I can be happy with but I am going to the gym to tone up some areas. I have the underarm jiggle and my butt is really squishy. lol. I'm not too strict with my diet anymore. I can only eat a little at at time. MOST of the time I make good Protein packed choices, but sometimes I eat junk. I've been getiing a lot of compliments in the last few months which is strange for me because I've never had that before. I still feel overweight until I look at a picture and realize how far I've come. Last night my Dad emailed me some "before" pictures because I deleted all of mine and my suregeon's office wanted some. I looked at the pictures and got really emotional. I remember the days of searching for something to wear that wouldn't look too bad, feeling sub-par because I was the biggest one in the room, not being able to run or be really active because it was just too difficult with all of that extra weight. I'm so thankful that I took the step to change my life. I hope you are too!

Surgery was May 19 of 2014. I'm down over 120 pounds and loving life! I followed the rules exactly for the first 5 months. Ate what I was told to eat, walked each day, ect. Now I'm a little more relaxed with the rules. I still go to the gym a few times a week and eat small portions and try to get a lot of Protein but I'll have a beer once in a while and I do eat carbs. This has been a long hard journey but I can't even put into words how much surgery has changed my life for the better. I can't wait to see what's in store for my future.

I've lost 100 pounds since the middle of May. Congradulations on the 60 pounds! Its so exciting to start dropping the weight! Good that you are feeling better this time too. Just stick with your Protein, don't snack, and walk as much as you can. We'll get there!

So far I've only been walking. I've been pretty consistant with it. I walk everyday on my lunch break at work (who needs 45 minutes to eat anymore?) and many days, I'll go for another walk when I get home at night. I live in Michigan and the weather won't be good for walking much longer so I'm going to start using the gym soon.

Good luck! Three weeks will be good. The first week is the hardest but remember that everyday gets easier and I promise it will all be worth it!

Surgery was May 19, 2014. I'm down 100 pounds this week. I would like to loose about 15-20 more. So happy with the results and my new lifestyle.

I had my surgery on May 19 2014. Best decision I have ever made. I've had great sucess and continue to drop weight. It's changed my life. People treat me better at work, at the store, and everywhere else, it seems. I've enjoyed seeing people's reaction to my transformation and the positive feedback I've been getting. I've met a super great guy. He's making me very happy. I'm enjoying life more. I'm addicted to walking. I go for one or two 30-40 minute walks a day. I listen to music and soak up the beauty around me. I just feel so much happier. We had family photos a couple weeks ago and for the first time, in a long time, I felt confident and beautiful. I wasn't trying to hide behind my sisters or son. What a great feeling!!

Lookin good! Yay!!

My Mom was totally against it. I told her if she could lose 30 pounds in the 6 months before my surgery I wouldn't do it. I had the surgery. Haha.

I like it too. Haha. I thought I was strange.

I'm having the same issue with Vitamins. They make me so sick and i almost gag just trying to swallow them!! I'm definately going to get the Flintstones vitamins and try those. I've been breaking that big horse pill in two and getting it down in between Protein bc my doctor said it helps if you coat your stomach with protein first. Also I take them as late as I can so I sleep through the sick feeling. Had a stall for a while but I seem to be losing again. Ready for solid foods. I'm really sick of eating the same things. Refried Beans, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, pureed chicken salad, Protein shakes, and yasso bars. I never thought my diet would consist of six things. So strange.

I had the same thing! I was staying with my sister just choking down Protein shakes and crystal light and sat next to her while she ate a big ole plate of lasagna. The smells just about did me in!! Its not like you can actually even eat it but you still want it! It does get easier. Someone mentioned that your tast buds change. So true. Things just aren't appetizing anymore. I have to force myself to even eat. I could go all day without eating.

I'm sorry to hear that you are so sick. I know it is very painful when you are vomiting. I had surgery almost 4 weeks ago and I feel completly normal now. (Besides my diet) I also had buyers remorse the first week but each day you will feel better and better. I was thinking that was the worst week of my life. Remember why you did it and try to imagine the end result. Keep your chin up!!

OH NO!! Don't worry too much! You will eventually fit into the dress and you will be a bombshell!!

Had my surgery May 19. Terrible sore throat for about the first 4 or 5 days. Definately from the tube down the throat. Good luck! Hope you're feeling okay!

Had my Surgery May 19 as well. Down 29 pounds at last appointment on 6/2/14. I have a very unreliable scale at home and it seems like I may be in a stall since then. I'm hoping its just the scale. Hahaha. Eating pureed foods. SO SICK of Protein shakes! Sticking to greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and refried Beans. I also found these frozen greek yogurt bars calld "YASSO" bars. There are so great and like 8 or 10g of protein. It was fun going back to work and having people notice the loss. Its mostly in my face, neck, and stomach. Everyone knows I had the surgery because I just figured if they are my friends they won't judge me, and if they judge me, they AREN'T my friends and I don't care what they think! Keep up the good work everyone! Breaking up with food IS hard but so worth it!

I've kind of wondered that myself. My dad and step-mom both had surgery last spring but it seems like my dad has started to gain some weight back. He's making poor choices with food and exercise. I feel like after I lose the weight I won't ever want to get heavy again and that will motivate me but I wonder....

Do you feel nauseated? Are you taking pain meds?

MAY 19!! May seems to by zipping right along towards our Surgeries! I am on my pre-op diet. Its similar to nutri-system. A lot of Protein Snacks, shakes, and Soups. It's going fine. They want you to have 3 snacks and 3 "meals" a day, so I feel like I'm always just an hour away from some kind of food. Just discovered this forum today and I'm a bit obsessed! Saw someone posted they had to quit their "favorite food" diet and then on this post "food funeral". Laughed so hard! I have had a horrible mindset the last few weeks. I have kind of felt like every meal is my last. It's kind of a relief to be on this structured diet. I don't really have to think about my food or play mind games with myself. Good luck everyone!

Having my surgery May 19. I had to complete a six month "weight loss" program to have insurance cover the cost. I am so excited the day is almost here! Cannot stop thinking about how I will feel after, how much weight I will loose, and what my new lifestyle will be like!