TrimTrekker

A body pillow used during pregnancy is great but without one, try sleeping on your side and using a pillow tucked tightly behind your back. It allows you to lean back on the pillow, taking pressure off your midsection all the way around including your back. It feels amazing. Adding the pillow between your legs is also a comfy addition to the support. Again, the body pillow allows for all of that at once.

I am 66 pounds down and I am doing this: I bought exfoliating gloves at Walgreens. Every other shower I exfoliate and when I am dried off I rub almond oil or whatever moistuizing lotion I have all over my skin. My understanding is that since skin is a living breathing organ it will renew itself as old skin cells are sloughed off. I don't know yet how much it is helping, but my skin is a soft as a baby's.
At this point I am 14 pounds from goal and am using year two to focus on strength training. My insurance will pay for a panni, but not until two years post-op. Strong muscles will help fill out some of the slack, but I will still need that panni I think. I dont know if all this will really help, but it doesn't hurt.

Okay, over a month later, I have to say: you guys were right. I've lost 60 pounds since I started my journey (45 since surgery!) and I feel fantastic. I stopped weighing myself every day, which helped my morale intensely, and I actually keep my 'before' pictures next to my mirror now to remind me how far I've actually come.
You guys are awesome. Thank you all so much.

I'm hungrier than before the surgery. I want anything, cucumbers,,cheese, juice from an orange, ANYTHING!!

I was sleeved on 12/12/14. Right from the beginning I had no problem drinking Water or Protein Shakes (though I hate them). I had to force myself to sip because I would forget. I never felt any kind of restriction or full feeling. When I started purees a few days ago...still no restriction. Today I made the ricotta bake. I ate about a tablespoon and a teaspoon of whitefish salad and I felt stuffed and uncomfortable and happy. It was absolutely delicious. I was starting to think that the surgery didn't go as it should have. Just had to tell someone who would understand.

Hello all! Congrats to those that have been sleeved. I hope you are all doing well and making progress. Thanks for sharing your stories. They're really helpful to those of us that have not been sleeved yet.
I am scheduled to be sleeved on 12/29 in Tijuana, MX. My insurance wouldn't cover the surgery because my bmi is not high enough and I don't have any of the co-morbidity conditions that are required for coverage. For those ladies that went to MX (I saw a couple throughout the thread that said they were going), did you have any difficulties? Who was your surgeon?
I'm on my pre-op diet right now and I have one of the ones that allows for two or three Protein shakes and a lean and green meal, which I'm grateful for. I know some are only allowed Clear liquids and sometimes for a full two weeks! Can't wait to get through it and get my surgery done. It's all I think about.
Best of luck to you all on your journey! I hope each and everyone of you not only meet your goal but also conquer whatever issues and bad habits you had that got you to where you were to begin with. I'm praying for you and please pray for me!

Ugh...Okay....how do you know someone else's Before, During and After WLS journey? There are some of us on here and I'm sure on other boards who chose to change their lifestyle BEFORE weight loss surgery.
I had to attend a seminar and 3 nutrition meetings with a nutritionist. I learned all kinds of facts and tidbits about being obese that stuck with me. So much so that I made a deal with myself....If I could make some changes now...I could get this surgery. I had my surgery on 12/16/14 after losing 50+ lbs on my own....at a bmi of 32.
So I guess I'm one of those "people" who took advantage of WLS. H*** yes, sure did. You are not aware of my struggle with obesity since I was a kid. You are not aware of any part of my journey. But I am. i will lose the 42 lbs I have to reach goal and I will not gain it back.
Guess I need to remind some...Weight Loss Surgery is a TOOL. And please remember....Everyone is on their own journey...RESPECT them by giving the benefit of doubt.

I lost 40 lbs before surgery and the intake nurse at the hospital actually tried to talk me out of having the surgery saying I didn't have that much to lose. I literally wanted to hit her. She had no idea of what I had already gone through in my life of weight loss struggles. I had 70 more pounds to lose and wanted it to stay off forever. I was approved for surgery by the surgeon and by my provincial health care plan, so really it was no ones business but my own. And that's exactly what I told the nosy nurse in January of 2014.
I am now 11 months post op and am at 145lbs. 5 lbs from my goal. I wear size 5/6 jeans and can share clothes with my 16yo daughter. As opposed to the size 24 pants I wore previously.
So really, just because we are lightweights, doesn't mean we don't matter or that we don't "deserve" surgery. We have our own struggles and weight related health problems. ( we also have feelings too)

I would agree that you cannot judge without knowing the whole story. I lost 150 pounds on my own before surgery. Many thought I should stop there and be happy with what I had done. The surgery was to help me finish strong and keep the weight off. What a person and their health care providers decide is right for them is really between them and is nobody elses business.

50 pounds is not a tremendous amount of weight BUT try carrying around 50 lbs for a day....it's heavy and it's hard on your body. I don't know how they would be getting approved by insurance but if it's out of pocket then to each their own. There is a risk in any surgery, boobs, lips, liposuction , butt ect but If you want it and your willing to pay it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. A Lot of us only had 50 lbs extra and then it grew...I wish I had had it done at 50 lbs instead of 100 it would have saved me some misery.

What do I think of the doctors who are doing this? I think they are in a heck of a lot better position to judge their patients needs than you are. I think as fat people we get judged enough for being fat and we darn sure don't need to be judged by you for not being fat enough.

That is cucumber, Tomato, crushed peanuts with geek yogurt and a few other spices. I'll post the recipe on the blog tonight. The beef curry one and palak paneer are already posted I think.

I love beef curry! I make a "skinny" version in my crockpot and it is delicious. I hated beef before surgery (especially steak), and now I crave it!
Here is my lunch. I picked off the onions and roasted red peppers. I ate about half, and I also used no dressing. Another weird thing since surgery: I don't like dressing on my salads. I added a little extra feta cheese instead. I'm about 11 months out.

If you consider eating Indian food normal that is
So if you're worrying you won't be able to eat or enjoy your food or be normal? Here's what I made for lunch today. Brown rice for the kids, ground beef curry, cucumber/tomato/Greek yogurt salad, palak paneer (spinach. with a homemade cheese). Apart from the rice, all good for us sleevers to eat.
I sometimes see people thinking they won't enjoy food, or that they can only have baked chicken and steamed vegetables. SO not true. I make Indian, Thai, Ethiopian, Greek etc all the time.
What is true however, is that my two kids (23 and 13) and my husband and I all ate--and we finished about a fourth of the food you see here
Feel free to post pics of what you're enjoying today that is sleeve friendly.

I am doing hummus, Beans, tuna and chicken salad blended with a little mayo, cottage cheese, yogurt, ground turkey blended with marinara sauce, eggs.< /p>

Oh and refried Beans with cheese , hummus , and sour cream. My stage was purée / mushy combined.

I liked the riccota cheese bake, just riccota cheese mixed with one egg and what ever seasonings you like (I used Italian blend) and a thin layer of marinara sauce on top then baked at 350 for about 25-30 mins! Delicious! Taste like lasagna minus the nodles! @@Jen D

Thanks BLERDgirl, I'm sure you're right about it being a Pavlovian response. I'm now trying to figure out my other cravings.

Again, it's early yet. You have to allow time for your body to readjust. Also those mental habits don't magically go away. You likely wanted nachos because you always had nachos when you went to the movies. You body associates nachos with going to the movies. Kind of a Pavlovian response.
Just remember you just had the surgery. Follow the nutritionist recommendations and stop. Don't overeat/drink. try ant-acids when you think you are hungry in between. It takes a minute to tell the difference between head hungry and when your sleeve is full. Feeling like this now is normal.

that's awesome! Your body is working with you and that's all we can ask for. Glad to see you're doing well!

I hope you guys are right because right now I can't tell I even had surgery. I'm trying to stay positive and I know that I'm lucky I haven't felt any type of pain but my mind is running wild thinking "oh the doctor just took my money and didn't do the surgery." But everyone was so nice at the hospital and why would anyone do that?? I hate to think like this but I honestly can't tell that I had surgery. And I definitely DONT want to feel any type of pain but I need some type of proof that I will have restrictions ????

Sleeved on 12/11.......hmnn you're right. I should probably try one thing at a time. I'm just so excited to eat real food!!! Haha. I'm like stoked to make the ricotta naka!

Day 2 post op. Will be released tomorrow if I tolerate shake. Can't believe I'm only a little sore. Had a tubal at the same time. With my gall bladder removed laparoscopically, 10 years ago, I was in soooo much pain.

I'm so nervous about tomorrow. I haven't been nervous until today! I'm having a tubal ligation at the same time but that's not why I'm nervous.