MeAndTinyTina

I loved your post until I got to the snake part. At least now that you're healthy and in shape you can run away if you have to? What's a pronghorn? But seriously, that's a great story. I'm sure they loved spending time with you in the past, because I feel from your posts that you're a genuinely nice and interesting person, but it must have been so much more fun for your now! Ellen

@@RaginCajun Thanks! Looks like you've lost a lot in a VERY short time! Keep up the good work!

Reached a big milestone today According to the BMI tables, I am now officially overweight! Started out as morbidly obese, wearing size 22/24 pants and 3 or 3X tops. Now in size 8 petite pants and medium tops! Went out to dinner with my parents last evening and they are concerned that I still want to loose more. They are having a hard time wrapping their head around the transformation -- a harder time than I am. After being heavy since age 6, I finally feel like my true self. Can't express adequately how happy I am. A little bit sad over the lost time -- wish I had done this sooner -- but trying to stay focused and in the moment because this moment is GREAT!! So grateful for the inspiration and support I receive just by reading the posts on this board. It has been key to my process. I don't post that often, but I read a lot and have learned so much from the veteran sleevers. Also reading the posts from people waiting for their surgery and wrestling with the issues of navigating in a world not really designed for large people keeps me on track because I cannot allow myself to backslide -- the stakes are way too high. Thanks for reading! I still have a bit more than 20 lbs to go (I think - will have to see how I look and feel as I get closer), but as I said, very happy to be overweight at last rather than obese! Ellen

@@Bufflehead -- I'm also eating a lot from Trader Joes. Love the grilled lemon or rosemary balsamic chicken. One pack get's divided into 3 meals with some of their frozen french green Beans or Brussels sprouts. Bring that to work for lunch almost every day.

@@judyoz Sorry and happy for you at the same time! A friend of mine found some kind of lung problem during her pre-op testing too. For her, since it was not a cancer situation, she got her sleeve first and in a few months will have a surgical procedure to fix the other problem. Are you still moving ahead with WLS and if yes, when?

@@HealthyJudy -- hope you're feeling good now that you're home. I remember that I enjoyed a couple of days on liquid Percoset!

@amoreno. I too went on my first diet when I was about 6, so had been dieting for 55 years when I had the surgery. There was no real straw that broke the camel's back for me. It wasn't one thing, it was everything. Sick and tired of feeling sick and tired! Wanted my outsides to match my inside personality - young, energetic -- someone who participates. To all of you on the fence or in the tough early stages of pre-op or post op, it does get better! I am down about 91 lbs in about 9.5 months. I work at it every single day. I'm dieting for sure, but I wish there was another word for it. I am mindfully eating. I am eating with a purpose -- to fuel my wonderful "machine" which goes to the gym 5 times a week, that I now have stopped fighting with it and am working with it instead. It has been a total perspective change for me. For me, the decision to have surgery flipped the switch. I think making the commitment and taking the risk of surgery (all surgeries have a risk factor) made if different than any regular diet I had ever been on. So the sleeve is a really helpful tool and for me was absolutely necessary because I never made the mindset changes without it when I dieted in the past. Ellen

Hi -- I'm in the same situation. Lost about 17" around the hips, bit the abdomen is way out of proportion. I have found that Spanx or other girdles flatten me out some, but make my waist bigger -- so pants fit worse! However, I have found one store and brand that look nice for work -- the Roz and Ally "secret agent" pants from Dress Barn. As for dresses, I have had much better luck as long as I am wearing control top pantyhose. I guess that has just enough control to tone down the belly, but not too much like Spanx does. Control top with an A-line or blouson, belted dress. And a lightweight cardigan to hide the bat wings -- because most dresses are sleeveless. I'm 57 and figure I'll be at my job in a large corporation until I'm 70 -- so I am considering plastic surgery. I simply would like to feel normal, bodywise, for the first time since I was 6. I'm thinking maybe in the fall of 2016. I hope to hit my goal weight this Fall, and then can save for a year.

Why do we say "work like a dog" when we want to express how hard we've worked? Right now my dogs are having a spa day at the groomers and I am hard at work.

@Day. I hear you and I understand. Never in my life have I had such continuous, volatile emotions! I am 100% happy 80% of the time, because I have never looked or felt this good. But then I look at the batwings, the tummy apron and the thighs that look like melted candles, and I can't stop obsessing over getting the skin removed. But how to pay? Its been so long since I contemplated an intimate relationship because of the weight. Now I feel that the skin is a barrier. I'm hoping that if I meet Mr. Right (or Mr. Right Now), it won't matter. After all, I am 57 and men in my age group should be realistic at our age anyway. Guys -- am I right? Ellen

Hi - my best NSV so far -- was feeling very fit at the gym, so afterwards decided to pop in to Dress Barn to see if I was down a pants size. YES I WAS! Now wearing size 10 petite! I cried in the fitting room. Arrived at the hospital last August in size 22 pants. Never, in my entire teenage or adult life have I been a 10. Someone at work asked me when I was going to stop losing. I told her when I no longer cast a shadow!

@@tomi71 - thanks, that's the most interesting theory I've heard on the cold issue. You might be right, because I started feeling cold the day I left the hospital - so loosing blubber was not the issues, since I was still more than 100 lbs overweight! Now at 8 months out and 80 something pounds down, I'm still cold. This morning in the gym they had the doors open and fans on and everyone is in short sleeves but me. Still had my 2 shirts on! Oh well, my electric bill won't be too high this summer -- really only the dogs will need it.

@@karlam29 Congrats on the 83 lbs. We've lost about the same # of pounds in the same time frame. I went to the monthly support group at Temple street last tuesday. Not sure I'll go back unless they have a guest speaker. I don't see too much value in going. A lot of the people are not interested in talking about nutrition or exercise, and that's the kind of info I'm looking for. I learn more reading on this website than going to those meetings. Have you ever been to the Yale support group? Ellen

Good luck! Follow the discharge instructions perfectly and you should be fine!

By the way - I just revised my goal from 115 to 132. I talked to my trainer and my primary care doctor and they said I would be too thin at 115, especially since I'm exercising like crazy and am gaining a lot of muscle. 132 would put me at the very edge of normal on the BMI table. But for plastic surgery, I'm told that you only need to be a 30 BMI.

@ Just saying hi, as your surgery date is almost here! I'm glad this thread is getting some visits. Nice to see CT getting slimmer I just went on a shopping spree, mostly at Old Navy. Prior to the sleeve, I hadn't worn a dress in about 20 years. Now, I can't stop wearing them. They are so inexpensive at Old Navy (and Kohls and Dress Barn too -- if on sale), that I don't mind only wearing them for a few months before shrinking out of them. My only problem is my incredibly horrible arm skin. There is no way I can go sleeveless, or even short sleeve -- 3/4 sleeves are my friends. So I bought a bunch of sleeveless dresses and then a few very lightweight cardigans to put over. Even bought a cute denim jacket in a size medium. You have no idea how happy that made me. I had to call my mom from the fitting room. We both had a quick, happy cry over that one. I'm also buying shoes -- went from an 8.5 WW to an 8 W. Very hard to walk in the old shoes -- I have to put cotton balls in the toes so they don't fall off! I work in a big corporation so have to dress the part. I can't just live in sweats or scrubs until I reach my goal. But the good news is that I spend much less on food! I even had to get new glasses because my face changed drastically. At least once a week I have to tell someone who I am -- my friends just walk right by me if they haven't seen me lately. How about all of you on the loser's bench? How's it going? Ellen

Once I got over the initial fear, I found that I liked exercise. I go to the gym 4-6X a week. It makes me feel strong and NORMAL. All my life I felt like an outsider - listening to people talk about exercising and doing active things and knowing that I really couldn't (or at least I thought i couldn't). Now I can tell my colleagues at work that I have to get going, because I want to get to the gym before they close. It's a good feeling mentally and physically.

Hi - I had my surgery in August at Yale by Dr. Roberts. The hospital experience was really good. They took very good care of me. Spent two nights. In on Wed, out by Friday afternoon. Back at work (but from home - no driving) on Monday. Of course I do most of my work on a computer or on conf. calls -- couldn't have done a physical job for a few weeks. Good luck. You'll be fine. Your profile doesn't say - are you a man or a women? Care to share your age? I'll be 57 in a few weeks, and I am doing well. Ellen

@@Califlower83 Have you started the process yet? I hope so. If only I had done this years ago when I was your age. They didn't have the sleeve then, but they did have bypass I think. I can't get the years back, but I am determined to enjoy the second half of my life as a thin person! This isn't the easiest thing in the world to do, but so worth it. Good luck on your journey! Ellen

Great question. I'm 6.5 months out too and haven't lost any. I do think my hair got a little dry and listless for a while, but seems to be fine now and none lost. Hope we missed that experience!

Good luck and welcome to the other side!

Great job and great post!

I going in for my 6 month checkup in a little while and I do feel like they're going to be disappointed in me for not losing more. But even though I've only lost about 5 lbs in the last 6 weeks -- I am shrinking. Went from a an Xlg in tops to a large and from a 16P to a 14 or sometimes a 12 in pants. I work out a lot - mostly resistance and balance, hard to do do much cardio with my bad knees, so I have actually gained muscle since the surgery according to my fancy body composition scale. Sounds like you may be in a similar situation. I think I justify the grazing because of the exercise. I really need to get my s**t together soon.

Wow - continued success and all the fun that comes with it!

Your story made me see red. I just cancelled my 6 month appointment which was supposed to be in a few hours because of snow, but if that happened to me, I would not be going back. I'm not a big fan of the support staff where I go. In both post of visits so far I haven't even seen a doctor. My surgeon never saw me after the surgery. I would stick with your primary care doc if you have a good relationship. I think at 6 months out with a sleeve, assuming you have had no complications, there is no extraordinary medical care that only a bariatric surgeon could give you. I found a NUT on my own that I really liked, and I will be going back to her. For me, and it sounds like for you too, I am done with being marginalized. Unless ALL my medical providers can give me constructive advice and help that will further my health goals, I don't go back. Keep up the good fight -- sounds like you are right on track to me. I am losing "slow" too and couldn't be happier! Ellen