IcanMakeit

Welcome. You will learn a lot from the posts on this site. It's also a great place to find out if what you are going through is normal. You will probably have so many new sensations and reactions that you'll be certain that something must be going wrong. Then when you check this site, you'll find lots of people have had the same experience, and you'll feel relieved. (At least that was my experience when I was newly sleeved.)

@@CanyonBaby, I am so sorry to hear of your husband's colonoscopy result. I hope it helps to know that all of your friends here on BP are pulling for you and wishing you and your husband well. Even if you can't check in often, you will still be in our thoughts. Also, I'm sure the doctors will tell you this as well, but treatment for colon cancer is a lot better today than it used to be.

@@Babbs, I don't think you should discount the possibility that you might lose more weight than you originally hoped. You seem to be very determined. Even though your weight loss rate may be slower than some others, eventually your body has to release the extra weight, since you are eating less than you burn.

She's about my height and weighs a few pounds less. But she has always been thin. I'm new at being thin and since she has known me for over 20 years, she may take a while to get used to my new body. I'm hoping to be able to maintain my weight loss for the long term. I know that most people gain a few from their lowest weight and I actually purposely lost below my goal just in case that happened. I'm not overly concerned about how I look. I'm finding that I have better stamina when I exercise than I did 10-15 pounds ago. If I can maintain it, I think this is a good place to be. If I gain as I add calories, I'm going to do what I can to gain the least possible.

I hate that you were made to feel that way. That's a problem some (especially young) health care professionals have, they forget that their patients are actually people, with feelings. They don't bother to use tact and kindness because they are too focused on "doing the job" rather than helping the patient. You deserve to be treated with respect. I think I'm all for your husband's probable reaction.

Yesterday a very thin friend told me that she thought I had lost too much weight and that she is getting worried. I'm not sure how to feel about that. Although it's true that I don't need to lose any more weight for my health, I am not now as thin as she has always been. Maybe she thinks that because all my remaining fat is concentrated around my middle so my legs are pretty thin. But maybe it's just because I am so dramatically changed that she can't get used to it. In any case, I won't be gaining weight on purpose unless my doctor advised it. I like the new me, skinny legs notwithstanding.

@MistyAnnMoon829. Can you post a picture of your cute bolero?

I guess I'm unusual. I never experienced a change in my food preferences. As soon as the immediate post-op ickies were over, i wanted to eat all the same goodies I liked before. I only avoided them because I wanted to lose weight, not because I thought they were too sweet. The only change I have noticed is that since I am still less hungry than before WLS, I have an easier time walking away from temptation.

Uh oh, you'll have to remove the challenge achieved box from my weight on the spreadsheet. I'm up to 112.6. I've been exercising more and have raised my daily calories to 1000, trying to stabilize my weight. But it seems that my body doesn't want to cooperate. I'm not panicking yet and will continue in maintenance mode.

@@Zachnchrissy, give yourself some time and things will improve. Right after surgery, your body is going through so much trying to heal itself, that you retain water and lose slowly. After the initial shock is past, things will begin to pick up. Hold on. You're in for a real ride!

Yes, it seems that most of us drift away from BP once we attain our goals or get close to our goals. We assume we're done. But from what I can see, once you've been obese, you do not become "normal" once you reach normal weight. You become "formerly obese," and that's a much less stable status than "normal". Just as I know that if my eating habits change significantly, my diabetes will return, that is also true for my weight. I hope we all stick around BP to remind each other of all the possible outcomes of our choices and to support each other through the failures and successes.

It's coming up on one year since my VSG. I have lost a total of 132 lbs (including pre-op loss) and am at the lowest weight I have been in my adult life. My diabetes is totally in remission and my high blood pressure is under better control, though not gone. But the real pleasure of this weight loss is that I can now get up after being seated for a while, and just walk without feeling horrible pains in my hips and back. I realized the other day when I popped up out of my chair at work and ran up the stairs, that this surgery has really changed my life for the better. Not only is my health much better, I'm also having so much fun shopping in regular stores and wearing fashionable clothes and shoes. So I'm calling on all May 2014 sleevers who are still around. How are you all doing one year out?

@@peggums, Oh how I wish I had heeded that advice while I was losing. I now have a bunch of really cute, almost new clothes in sizes ranging from medium to large. I'm still wearing things that look sloppy because they are cute and in great condition and my mother's voice is in mind telling me not to be so wasteful just because of vanity.

When you do switch, make sure your new doctor gets your complete medical records from your old doctor, including the surgical notes.

@@peggums, thanks for sharing your success story. It is so helpful for new post-ops and people who are considering WLS to hear about the real successes of real people. I am also coming up on my one year anniversary in the next couple of weeks and am also very grateful for having been given the opportunity to have WLS and get my life back. What a difference a year and a half of careful eating can make!

@@jennn0218, your surgery date is my one year surgiversary. I don't know which procedure you are having, but I hope that you will be as pleased a year from now as I am today. This is a very friendly site. Just ask and you will get many helpful responses.

I just happened upon this thread and I'm glad I did. My goals and motivations are similar to others'. At first, I was all about giving myself the best odds to live long enough to see my grandchildren grow up and to stop feeling like crap all the time. Once my diabetes went into remission and my myriad aches and pains were gone, I started focusing on keeping my new-found good health. I was so miserable at 244 lbs. I could barely get through a day without severe physical pain and also frequently felt disrespected and overlooked socially. I may seem too rigid to others, but I have "been there, done that" and regained every pound when I stopped focusing on eating healthily. That doesn't mean I intend to never eat recreationally. I have several special treats planned for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. in the next few weeks. It just means that on a day to day basis, I have to remind myself to eat like a healthy person, not like an obese person. As far as my current weight, at 113, I'm already lower than I ever believed possible and don't need to lose anymore. I just don't want to gain five, then ten, then...

@@coleenrenee, I'm sorry you're feeling blue, but know that lots of people have those same thoughts/feelings early in the post-op period. In a couple of weeks, you will begin to notice that you're feeling better and better. In a few months, when you see that you have lost a significant amount of weight, you will be so glad you decided to take the risk of WLS and do the work required. Read widely on this site and you will see that experience repeated over and over. Good luck.

@@bayougirlmrsc, those red shoes are calling my name. But I know I could not wear them for long. They are so high.

@@bayougirlmrsc, Cute! Is wearing high heels new for you, too? By your photo, you're pretty young so maybe you've been able to wear heels even before weight loss. I am going to need a minder to keep me from going crazy with shoes. I'll be heading into Imelda Marcos territory if I'm not watched!

@@kimpossible67, Losing a parent is one of the hardest things to go through. But I hope your wonderful memories bring you comfort.

@@Band07 I hope your recovery is smooth and trouble free. Your decision to go with the MGB seemed to come really quickly. Was that because your surgeon recommended it? It makes seems to make sense to me that trying to do a repair of your VSG would have been less optimal.

When your shadow looks like it belongs to some skinny woman.

It's in the General Gastric Sleeve Surgery Discussion section. It came right up when I searched for it. Perhaps your search had a typo.

Here's a picture. I didn't wear them today because I also bought a pretty pink top that I just had to wear to work.