bek321

Left was me 5-25-2013 and the right is 4-13-2014....98 lbs lost at that point ....I had sleeve surgery in June of 2013 ...and as of this morning I'm down 112 lbs best decision I have made for myself <3

I love the new me!! I am proud and feel sexy.. I used to hate having my picture taken now I revel in it lol

This is last night I'm in the polka dot dress...
Lipstick you look awesome!!!!'

I've lost a few since. HOW FUN!!

So, when people post lots of selfies of themselves in sexy poses and sexy clothes and say, I think I'm still fat even though everybody tells me I'm not, do they really feel fat? I don't think so. I think they need a pat on the back. Come on ladies, just post your pics and say very loudly......"Look at what I've accomplished". Nobody is going to slam you for it. After all, you've managed to accomplish what we all are working for. I think you know you look good, but need to hear it from others.

about a year ago I posted my story in the hopes it would give some of you hope to never quit and never give up on your dream. my dream was to lost weight and have surgery. after 3 unsuccessful times being in the operating room in 2004 at 323 lbs and then an insurance rejection of the sleeve in 2010 at 300 lbs, I was finally sleeved in march 2013. now its august 2014 and im 1.5 years post op with the sleeve. before and current after pics are below the story.
below is my original story from June 2010 along with updates from August 2013 and today August 2014. if youre reading this, stay motivated and believe that it can happen to you the way it happened to me. best of luck to you all.
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ORIGINALLY POSTED JUNE 16, 2010:
hi everyone! i have read so much in this forum and want to say thank you to every single poster! ive learned so much and sincerely appreciate verticalsleevetalk.com. im a 47 year old male living in brooklyn, new york. i currently weigh 305 lbs and have been overweight all my life. ive been hovering around the 300-315 mark for about 10 years. before that i hoovered around 280-300 for the prior 10 years. my high weight was 323, which was in 2004. the most ive lost dieting and exercising was about 40lbs on a few occasions, but i always put it back on.

in 2004 i decided to have wls and was going to have the gastric bypass done. after going through all the steps and being approved by my insurance, i went to the hospital and was put in scrubs for the operation. then i was told by the nurse that the doctor had a family emergency as his daughter was in a car accident and he had to leave the hospital immediately. so my surgery was rescheduled for 4 weeks later. during these 4 weeks i ate plenty and went on a "goodbye to food" tour! this tour took me to all my favorite buffets and i ate like it was my last meal, even though i knew i shouldnt be doing that. 4 weeks later i again went to the hosptial and was put in scrubs and before my surgery the doctor said he couldnt operate because my sugar level was unexpectedly through the roof. i begged him to go through with it, but he said he couldnt and i needed to lose some weight and not do what i did by gaining weight and eating everything before surgery. so it was again cancelled. now i was determined to lose weight before i went back in 6 weeks for the eventual operation. in those 6 weeks i ate perfectly and lost 30 lbs. the day came and i went in a 3rd time to the hospital. again i was put in scrubs and this time all the tests, including my sugar were normal. but the doctor was surprised that i was able to lose 30lbs in 6 weeks. he sat me down and said the operation was a serious one and if i was able to lose 30lbs in 6 weeks, maybe i should give losing weight on my own another try. he convinced me to not have the operation. so i actually went on to lose a total of 89lbs in 7 months and got my weight down to 234 and felt great. i was actually running on a treadmill for a few miles non-stop and was in the best shape of my life. one year later i was again at 310lbs.

i never considered wls surgery again because i honestly in my heart didnt want the bypass portion done. and im thankful that even though i was in the operating room 3 different times, i never had the bypass done. later in life i researched the lapband as it became popular, but again i didnt want the lapband either due to all the complications of it. only a few months ago i discovered the option of the sleeve, and it seemed like exactly what ive been waiting for. a tool to limit my intake, with no bypass and nothing permanently inside of me that needed followup adjustments.

so im now in the process of going through everything i need to do before my dr. submits for approval to my insurance. the only thing left is the psych evaluation, which im in the process of completing and ill have it done shortly. then ill meet with my dr. again on june 30th for the final time and he will submit everything to the insurance company and ill hopefully get approved.

so thats my story. its seems that bypass just wasnt for me. and ironically back in 2004 i was all for it. now today in 2010, i wouldnt do a bypass ever. im thankful it never got done and i believe it wasnt meant to be. especially being in the operating room in scrubs 3x!

again, thank you to everyone who has ever posted in this forum. you do not know how much it helps, even the people like me who only read and never posted before. best of luck to everyone on their journey.
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UPDATE AUGUST 6, 2013:
back in 2010 after completing all the steps and requirements with dr. mcginty, I was denied by my insurance as the sleeve was considered experimental by them. they did offer me the gastric bypass or the lap band, but I refused both as I was only willing to have the sleeve done. so dr. mcginty said he believed that in a few years all insurance companies would be approving the sleeve as readily as they were approving the gastric bypass and lap band. and he was right! in jan 2013 I found out that my insurance now did cover the sleeve and I went back to dr. mcginty. I went through all the steps again and in march 2013 I finally got sleeved! today, august 5, 2013 I have been sleeved 4.5 months. in jan I weighed 291.5 lbs. today I weight 210 lbs. I lost 18 lbs before surgery and 63.5 lbs since surgery. this is the lightest ive been in 25 years and my goal is to reach 180. im finally on my way after waiting 9 years! so don't ever give up! the sleeve was meant to be for me...it just took me 9 years to get it done!
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TODAYS UPDATE AUGUST 20, 2014:
I was sleeved in march 2013 at about 300 lbs and reached my goal in jan 2014 at around the low 180's. today, Aug. 20, 2014, I still weigh 182, so since jan I have basically maintained my weight for the last 7 months in between 180-185 so I think this is the weight I will permanently stay at. I exercise 3-4 times a week. over the last 1.5 years ive become a runner and do about 15-20 miles per week. i started out by just walking but now ive also completed a few 13.1 mile half marathons and earlier this year I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine and completed a 26.2 mile full marathon. I can definitely eat a lot more now that I did when I was first sleeved, but I do make the right food choices of what I put in my mouth. I can see that if I made bad food choices I could easily gain back 15-20 lbs or even more because like I said, I can eat a lot more now than I could a year ago. so making a lifestyle change is critical for long term success with the sleeve. if you don't make the correct lifestyle changes, eventually you will stop losing weight and as your ability to eat more increases, you could actually start gaining weight again. thankfully ive been one of the lucky ones and ive had no complications or trouble eating. I never hit any serious plateaus as I went from around 300 to the low 180's very steadily. but I did work the program and I always ate right and I always made time for exercise. I think these last 2 steps is what truly made me successful and made my journey an easy one. life is good, the sleeve is the best thing that's ever happened to me and at the age of 51 im in the best shape of my life!
NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER STOP BELIEVING THAT YOU CAN DO IT! I HAD 9 YEARS TO QUIT AND STOP BELIEVING BUT I NEVER DID! IF I CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU! BEST OF LUCK TO YOU ALL, BOTH PRE-SURGERY AND POST OP READERS.
below are some before and current after pics. if anyone has any questions for a 1.5 year post op sleever, feel free to ask.
   

So I am pre-op and read this. I love you for posting this question. I have friends and coworkers saying aren't you going to worry about all that skin afterwards? Umm yeah I thought of it, but this is what I am thinking of.. why I want surgery.. I want to fit in any old chair, I want to be able to keep up with my kids, go on a bike and not have the fear of the tires popping off. Being able to go on an airline without thinking of a seat belt extender, or better yet going to the amusement park and being next to my kids. If you are self conscious of skin, wear some layers to hide it, and invest in some spanxs, if it covers the dimples and yanks you in, I would imagine it would smooth and pull in skin quite nicely. No need to ever be fat! You've worked hard, enjoy yourself!

I'm getting ready to move at the end of the month. Was going to wait another 10 lbs to purchase new clothes but have found that 85% of my clothes are not only too big, they are WAY too big, especially the tops. I have gone from a 2x to a medium in 2 months! Crazy bc I was thinking the weight was coming off slowly, but I am shrinking somewhere I guess. Like most, I had closets and trunks full of clothing of all sizes. I have had to git rid of almost all of it. I broke down and went shopping bc I had to get some clothes to wear to work without looking like a hobo! It's nice to be able to buy clothes without great worry that "what if gain it all back". I feel much more confident that I won't need my plus sizes or "fat clothes" any more. They are gone!!

I started yaking clothes off hangers last night!! Down 42 pds I new they were history! I even took the winter ones out..went thru 2 tubs of summer shoes..yea I cleaned out 2 closets! Called a girlfriend so she'll b taking them..feels great knowing them sizes are gone for good!

@@Jenny L jealousy is a horrible thing.

Oh my gawd!! I would love to have your arms!! Are you kidding me? Great job!! Don't let the asswipes bring you down.

Here is me doing my first Rugged Maniac!! A huge accomplishment for this former fellow fatty. I'm registered for two more, too!
 

You look great. Ignore that jerk. You should be super proud of yourself and your accomplishments. Thank you for the inspiration. I plan on doing the warrior dash next year(sleeved 8/11).

You look great. Ignore that jerk. You should be super proud of yourself and your accomplishments. Thank you for the inspiration. I plan on doing the warrior dash next year(sleeved 8/11).

I really haven't had negative comments, but I had one person say they were sick of dieting and wished they could just have surgery like I did. She was just being a patronizing bitch, so I turned the tables on her and gave her my surgeons name and contact info, told her all about the the preop and postop diet and how lucky I was not to have any of the complications ( which I described in detail) How now I can eat anything I want, as long as it's not bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes, and sweets. Exclaimed how great I feel now that I can't drink beer and don't wake up with hangovers anymore. (She's a big partier). Made suggestions on the best Vitamins and Protein powders to get, talked about drinking at least 2 liters of Water everyday, and how many great bariatric recipe websites there are. Described how nice it is to only have to eat an appetizer at a restaurant, so I was saving so much money. The more I encouraged her, the more excuses she made of why she couldn't do it. I put a positive spin on my whole experience, but I think I made my point about how " easy" this all is.

So, I got the most hated comment (for me anyway) the other day:
Someone congratulated me on my weight loss & asked how I did it. I'm always very open and honest about my surgery, so I told her I had the sleeve....
Her reply: "oh, I thought you did it yourself."
My head said "b*tch!" But my mouth said, "well it was a lot of hard work." -- I didn't look, but I could feel her rolling her eyes, but I beat her with the flames coming out my ears.
People have no clue.
I WORK at this-- the results speak for themselves. I don't have to explain myself to anyone.
We work hard. Pat yourself on the back! This life isn't easy-- it's high maintenance. Not everyone can do what we do. Don't let anyone's opinions bring you down.... Cheers to us!

Misty

Had my surgery on the 11th. After recovery room have had very little pain.. no gas pain at all.. mild incision pain. No nausea. Just a headache. So far things are great. Set to go home today.. best wishes to everyone.

I am 3 weeks out today and 28 pounds ( 13kg) down. Can' t eat much but I try to eat right and drink Water

Hi, I had sleeve on 8/6. Feel awesome. Except I'm dreaming about food too. Still on liquids until 8/22. So tired of broths. Yesterday I sucked on a bean and mashed it up until I felt I could swallow. Then got scared I'd hurt my sleeve. How embarrassing!
Today I'm down 8 lbs from starting weight. I was not put on a pre-op diet at all. Just told not to eat or drink after midnight.
Walked 30 minutes last 2 days. No pain meds since 2 days post-op. Still can't believe I've done this. Have been thinking about it for years. Feel great I've done it. I was a want to be health nut. Finally, I have to be a health nut because of restrictions. Sweets are my downfall... Haven't even thought of sweets. Just want some meat please!

Had my surgery on the 11th. After recovery room have had very little pain.. no gas pain at all.. mild incision pain. No nausea. Just a headache. So far things are great. Set to go home today.. best wishes to everyone.

i am excited to try all the new things, however i have not exercised, danced, etc in front of other people in about 20 years. literally. it will all be new, and that part is intimidating also, but i gotta start somewhere!

My stats are mostly in my SIG line, but since that doesn't show on mobile apps, I'll write them here:
I'm 5'6" and was 54 when I had surgery. Start weight: 254, day of surgery weight: 222, Goal weight: 135. Got to goal in 9 months and have stayed at goal about 2.5 years now. My before and after photos are in my profile, along with a lot more photos. Click my pic to see my profile.
Lynda

Here is my results after two months out . I was scared to still am . It's like I am living in a dream !

As you can see I am dropping . I am glad I did it

August 11!!

Hi guys. I was sleeved on 21 december 2012. I started at 110.3kg and now i weigh 49kg. My dress size was a uk size 22/24 and now its a size 8/10. Keep going guys, you will get there.
Just remember not to compare youself to others as we all are different and our bodies work at different rates.

It's official 100 pounds!!!!!! Highest 305 and now 205!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm just a little over a year out. I'm down 200 pounds. My weight loss was very steady and every couple of months my pant size would drop. I went from 4xlt shirts down to large tall in dress shirts and Med tall in tee's. My waist went from a 50 down to a 34. I bought nothing but Walmart 9.99 jeans and a few pull over shirts as I lost but I got rid of a ton of shirts and pants. I didn't hesitate to get rid of a lot of the shirts right away but my wife has a friend who has a tubby hubby and he wanted the 4xlt shirts but they have not shown so next week my closet will only have clothes that fit me. I will even get rid of the 36 jeans I bought a few months ago. I will never go back, ever.

I have been shocked over and over again by what I personally did not know. I studied this for two years. did research and watched videos and asked questions on here and to my team. I did not know:
What to eat and when in detail.
64 oz. of Water..say what? I loved water..What I hate it now..Never heard of such a thing!
I did not know any nutritional retraining I would need.
I did not know that you can get a leak 18 months out.
I did not know that you can get reactive Hypoglycemia.
I did not know that when you gain muscle you get bigger.
I did not know that you could really die from WLS.
I did not know that people would treat you mean because you lost weight.
I did not know that people would tell me I took the easy way out.
I did not know that people can live without eating for 5.5 months...
I guess I did not know a lot. But then I live in one of the the poorest Provinces. Not to mention the most backwards Province in Canada when it comes to health.
I had no idea that most of the things that happened to me did.....I am shocked that more people are not aware of this life saving chance. And that more people die because they are not invested in the changing of lives....
I had no idea I would hate tuna after my surgery and I when it was I would be able to finally eat at all....I had to learn to eat again..Who does that!
I never knew that people sucked the chocolate off of peanut M n M's and thought they weren't cheating..They should have eaten the peanuts..you know! Or lick the cheese off Doritos and feel satisfied...Say what!
I know this is a little off the best but you know what I think: there are still people who think you can't get pregnant the first time you have sex.
For such a time of the information age. People are still eating boxed macaroni and cheese and thinking that it is good for you.
For now I will try to answer as many of those questions as I can and when and if I do tire out..I will back off and call it a day!
For now..nope!