TSJackie

I can see your concerns, but what's so bad about being wanted for your body? Realistically, the very first reason anyone is interestedin you is based on your appearance. If you met a wonderful man who was very overweight, would you really be as interested if he was the same man in a healthy body? I'll be honest, I would not be. I've worked very hard to be the size that I am and I am completely fine with men looking at me and wondering what I look like naked (which p.s. let's hope what they picture is better than the reality, lol). I know who I am and I know the type of man I like having in my life- that hasn't changed from where I am now and where I was 100 pounds ago, except now I have a lot more options available to me than I did when I was larger. It's like putting your house on the market...can you really blame the perfect buyer for not being interested if you don't update the kitchen and vaccum the floors? Weight loss is like cleaning house...if you want the best options, looking the best is how you get them. It isn't fair, but what's the phrase...don't hate the player, hate the game.

Had my surgery Nov 10th, yesterday. I'm doing awesome, minimal pain, have been up on my own the first night, drinking Water and no nausea!

This is me. Surgery was 6/23/14.
You can also follow my blog here. http://www.bigfatloserblog.com
Before - 385
After - 289

http://i.imgur.com/wp02ZHj.jpg

When you don't have to strategically think of how you are going to position yourself to clip your toenails. You can either reach down to clip them without a fat roll hindering you to reach them or you can just bend your leg up to clip them. This may seem silly to some but it was a life defining moment for me!

Chapstick. I would have been so sad without Chapstick. I brought a lot of things I never used. Keep it simple. I am so excited for you!

Your tummy is no longer bigger than your boobs (wohoo) and the hair tie on your wrist doesn't feel like it's going to cut off circulation... it's LOOSE!

Me before & after
293 to 163 ☺️????????????

I'm only a week out and had my very first NSV!! I bought a pair of dress pants 3 years ago that were way too small at the time, just in case I decided to lose weight. I found them in the back of my closet and decided to try them on...and they fit perfectly!! I'm so excited for the rest of this journey that I'm on!!

Bought my first pair of regular calf vs. wide calf knee boots. Can even tuck my jeans into them!

10 lbs in 1 week - way to go! I had my pre-op physical at 4 days in and had lost 6 lbs. Guess they know what they're doing with prescribing this pre-op diet stuff, huh? I am still shocked at how the switch flipped at Day 3. Everyone said it would get better then - and exactly right. The headache and hunger and shakes went away. What I wasn't prepared for is what started on about Day 3. The obsession about food. The craving for "one more time" with a certain food. Sounds silly but it was consuming my thoughts. I find myself driving by a restaurant and having to say to myself, sometimes literally aloud, "I don't need you." Ahhh....hence the decision for surgery.

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.

Totally shocked and thrilled. I ordered a pair of size 12 jeans and they arrived this afternoon.

I was wearing 14's that I got just a few weeks ago. Figured picking up the next size down (same brand) would be a motivator.

I tried them on and they fit!!

Guess I'll need to get a 10 to hang on the back of the door, heh.

Not dropping a lot of pounds, but my size is shrinking :-)
To think I was a size 20 when I started this journey the end of April. THANK YOU MS. SLEEVE!!

For some reason, I was thinking Sept 29 is my 1 month, but it was actually Sept 26. Started going to the gym about two weeks ago...no lifting yet, just cardio. No problems so far with food intake and no pain anywhere. My pre- surgery weight Sept 24 was 237. As of today I am 197! So far it's been a smooth ride... Especially the weight loss! I think at week 3, I thought I was hitting the dreaded "stall", but was wrong! Knock on wood...please no stall soon! My wife and sons are now noticing that I'm getting smaller and smaller. Good luck everyone!

I just had my sleeve this morning. I'm lying in the hospital bed, feeling quite good actually. Minimal pain, some gas in my shoulder that subsided a bit when I took a walk. I hope I continue to feel ok. I had a short bout of nausea earlier but my doc is managing it well. The staff here is wonderful, and despite my pre surgery meltdown this morning, I'm glad I did this (so far. We'll talk again when they take away the morphine).

In my humble opinion I think MANY interpersonal relationships change when you have WLS. Family dynamics shift, depending on your place in the family. I have always been the one to support and give of myself to everyone. If I had nothing, I would still try to give. I would be suffering, in pain, yet I was always thinking of others. I had been off over two months from work and had spent 6 days in the hospital, yet in May 2013 I made sure to get to my nephew's wedding. ( Four days after I was released from hospital for a major DVT/PE) I was not perfect, but I tried. Then I decided to have the surgery for ME. As I lost weight I became more and more aware of how certain family members used me, and I put a stop to it. Then there was work. Most of my work associates supported my decision and have praised me for the weight I have lost. One coworker though has always been difficult. She is extremely passive aggressive and difficult to get along with. I put up with her nonsense for over 12 years, biting my tongue. Earlier this year I couldn't hold it in anymore. I let her know in no uncertain terms exactly what I thought of her. It got tense and ugly in the office for a while, but I didn't regret it. The old fat me did everything to keep the peace, don't rock the boat. The new thinner me isn't going to put up with the same BS. I am very over that.
And then there is my "personal" relationships. I will admit 100% I thought it would be easier to find a nice guy to date if I weighed less. I never got asked out on dates at 300 lbs +, I really thought when I became physically more attractive that would change. It has not. I haven't dated more than once or twice since I have lost weight. Yet I have made a change in this area too. I used to be available for "FWB" friendships. The problem was they weren't really friends and the only benefit was mostly for them. They didn't want to hang out. Heck most of the guys I have had "benefits" with over the past 10 years have had significant other women in their lives at the time! No, once again I did things just to have a guy pay attention to me. I believed I was desirable to the men, but the truth be known I was just easy. Well since I have lost weight that has stopped. I no longer have FWB. If I am not good enough for a man to take out on a date, been seen together in a social setting and want to actually spend time with me, I am not good for the other either. I think a lot of overweight people will do this, settle for less than ideal rather than nothing at all. Whether it be getting involved with people who are not the best for you or having intimate relationships that are without a relationship, obese people will put others before themselves. I think with weight loss after surgery we begin to find some confidence. We want better for ourselves. And those who have used us don't always like this change. They accuse us of being different people, that we have "changed"- like it is a bad thing. What has changed is we are learning to love ourselves enough to want better. And yes, it does often lead to changes within our social and familial dynamics.

Before:



After:



Sleeved April 17, 2015 Total weight loss: 121 lbs.

I do not agree that I should tell anyone other than who I told. One thing about success is everybody is not happy for you. I love my beastie but she did the same when our other friend had lap band. My doctor said to leave the nay Sayers alone so I did. I choose this route because it was the best for me and I didn't need anyone to help me decide. I told my husband I was doing not could I do it. He was not the one living with my health problems so....with that said, my health decision was my own. I don't need anyone to agree or disagree with my decision cause they were not gonna change my mind. I did the research, went to the seminars and all doctors visits on my own except for the one that my husband was required to go. I'm glad I did it and wouldn't change it for the world. I am healthier and happy and my husband is dating a new woman (me 50 lbs less). My kids see how much better I feel and they are happier so all in all I know I made a good decision. Who knows or doesn't know shouldn't matter. What matters is by doing something positive and working out and making good food choices my family may not have to bury me before my time.

You go, girl!! Your friend sounds a bit green-eyed to me and not much like a friend at all! You don't owe an explanation to ANYONE. Your business is YOUR business and your decision to have surgery was a very personal one.
Congratulations on your 50 pounds lost! You are doing an amazing job!
You are absolutely wrong. I once lost 80 pounds in three months on WWs and exercise and I kept it off for a year. I was eating micro amounts and going to the gym twice a day. There was no way I could maintain that pace (and the hubby knocked me up) but I did do it and I lost a lot faster than I am with the sleeve.
It is not my job or hers (or yours for that matter!) to "inspire" anyone. If it happens, awesome! I would love to think that I could help someone else get healthy but it's not my duty. It's up to each individual to find inspiration in his or herself. I am no more responsible for anyone's weight loss than I am for anyone's weight gain. (Except maybe my husband because he keeps finishing my leftovers.)
I am utilizing a tool that is available to anyone. Even with this tool, I track every bite that goes into my body. I exercise at least an hour a day. I wear a pedometer so I can make sure to get in my steps each day. I make great food choices that meet my nutritional needs and that will help me hit my weight loss goals. Most importantly, I have dropped the excuses and THAT is where I will win.

I went from 298 to 165 in 10 months. 133 pounds. The first 113 fell off by June and I was sleeved in December I thought I was stabilizing at 185, which was GREAT, but them lost more when work got stressful. Probably 10 pounds under where my body wants to be, but THRILLED. Have to fully stabilize my calories intake and add muscle now.

These were taken 365 days apart. 298 to 165. 133 in 10 months. Feeling too thin and look better with another 10 pounds on me, but gaining weight is a more enjoyable struggle.

I have been walking and plan to hit the treadmill again tomorrow. I have lifting restrictions until 11/10. I am also going back to work on 11/3

Kathy, thanks for refreshing this thread! Notified me via email and brought me back to the forum!
Update- swallowing still makes my tummy uncomfortable because of the semen's consistency, but my doc said not to worry!

Okay ladies! I'm going to try and keep this as clean as I can but its a sex thing so it's definitely adult content!
Have any of you had issues with "swallowing" since being sleeved? I went down on my new guy tonight and my sleeve was KILLING me after! I felt like I had eaten too much too fast and then chugged a bunch of Water within 5 minutes. It's starting to go away now but it's a few hours later and it's still really uncomfortable.... I hadn't eaten before of anything so my sleeve was empty.
I'm almost 4 months out... Why does it hurt so bad???? Am I never going to be able to "swallow" again??? *panicked face*!! Help !!!
I mean, It's not like you can portion it ;p

Ok, so it probably didn't. But I've had abnormal PAPs for the last 7 years. I get checked twice/year and it ranges from From atypical to high grade. I've had 4 LEEPS, 5 biopsies and a conization. I can't believe I even have a cervix left after all the bits and pieces that have been removed. Two years ago I finally said fuckit....unless it comes back high grade again or precancerous, I'm not having anymore procedures...obviously the aren't working. Well I just got my most resent PAP result and it was normal! My OB/Gyn emailed me herself she was so excited. I'm chalking it up to outstanding nutrition over the last 10 months since surgery. Very nice NSV!

I'm typically up front within 1 or 2 dates, as I am with most people about the fact I've had WLS. Funnily enough, I ended up on a date a few weeks ago with a guy who said "his thermostat" was broken since surgery... "Oh, didn't I tell you I had 85 % of my stomach removed"? I said nope, and I hadn't told you that I had 90% of mine removed! We LOL'd about it. Date never went anywhere, but that was one I won't son forget!