Jewelgirl04

I entirely agree with everything above. I'm exactly four months post-op today and can honestly say that the 95% mark has resulted in not just weight loss, but a generally happier outlook.
Yes, certain things make me terribly sick. I know that I can't really eat a burger (sans bun, just a patty) at a diner or bar and grill-type restaurant because the amount of grease in them make me sick. I made the mistake of taking a few bites of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream that my sister offered me and the dough made me sick, too.
However, I have learned that having two tablespoons of white rice with my chicken and broccoli will not kill me or sabotage my weight loss, nor will eating a few french fries when I'm out to dinner with my family. Those were not the habits that got me here. It was the huge basket of fries with my BBQ burger and a brownie for dessert. It was the pork fried rice I ate with sesame chicken.
My point is that sometimes, it's okay to indulge just a bit, so long as it's only a couple of bites once in a while and you're not reverting to bad habits. I find it makes me feel like I'm not deprived of all things and while that might seem silly emotionally, it's why all those strict no carb diets failed for me. I felt so deprived that I binged.
If you can stay on board with your nutrition 95% of the time, you'll do just fine. You'll be happy and healthy. Both mentally and physically.
BUT what everyone else says is also true. Don't use the pre-op nutritional period as a time to binge because you know this surgery is down the pipeline. Make your lifestyle changes now, maybe treat yourself to one splurge meal once or twice a month, and know that this is your life from now on.

There is no need to completely cut out starches. When you on the liquid diet the week before and the liquid then soft diet in the weeks after surgery, then you need to do exactly what your doctor tells you. Before that and after that though, as long as you're losing weight, staying in your calorie goals, and getting the required amount of Protein, having carbs isn't going to hurt you. If anything I find that the times I have totally cut out carbs, I have gained massively with just a little bit of adding them back into my diet. I know that I can eat according to the plan about 95% of the time and if every once in awhile I want a grilled chicken sandwich with a bun, a small piece of cake, or a few fries...I eat them. Unlike before I don't really crave foods like this any more and they tend to make me hellaciously sick, so a few bites and I am quite satisfied. I have zero interest in living the rest of my life without ever getting to enjoy good food...the trick is to learn the act of moderation. Your sleeve helps you with that.
You can have your cake and eat it too....just not the entire cake, lol.

Two things:
1) I only told a handful of people in my life to be perfectly honest. My parents and my kid sister, but that was a given because I'm in grad school and live at home. They were at the hospital with me the day of surgery and my mom took me home the next day. I did not tell my older half-brother who lives in Florida (whereas I'm in NJ) because he is not a supportive or understanding person and it's not his business what I do with my body. (Also, he's always on some ridiculous meathead diet and will claim he's lost 90 lbs, when he's clearly gained, so... whatever).
I also told maybe four of my closest girlfriends, who have been incredibly supportive. They called or texted me frequently while I was recovering, even sent flowers. I'm glad I have a few friends I can be open with about my journey.
I was out of school for nearly three weeks. I only planned on two, but then my sister brought home a virus from high school that ran rampant through my house and it took me out of commission for another week. But I told some of my classmates that the surgery wasn't anything life-threatening, but necessary. (I told the girls it was a lady issue and I needn't add any more!) Everyone has noticed a major difference though.
2) I work part time at Torrid, which is a plus sized women's clothing store that's fairly popular here in the US. During the holiday season, a pair of women came in to buy sweaters and said they were interested in items that could accommodate weight loss, such as stretchy sweaters and belted tops. They explained they'd recently had the sleeve and when I said I was having it the following month, one woman looked at me with a scowl and asked "Why?" The other whacked her on the arm and said "If she feels she needs this, then all the more power to her!"
It's honestly the first time I'd ever heard that when I talked to anyone about it. I was surprised at how many customers that came into my store had undergone the procedure!
The irony is that my surgeon said to me he wishes that people came to him when they were my age (24 when I saw him for the consultation) and my size (my BMI was 39.6, but I have PCOS so it was considered a comorbidity and was 36 the day of surgery.) Even the nurses and other doctors I saw as part of my pre-op insurance requirements (cardiologist, etc) told me that I was an excellent candidate for the surgery because I was not that big and in otherwise pretty okay health, so I should have a better recovery and better response overall. (Yay to little loose skin!)
Now, my BMI is just a hair over 32. I'm coming to terms with the slower weight loss compared to others with more to lose and I'm really enjoying cleaning out my closet of my old clothes.

I was playing around with my NINJA blender the other day and discovered this fantastic recipe!
1/2 container Premiere Protein chocolate shake
1 SF Jello Dark chocolate pudding Cup
Handful of crushed ice (5-7 cubes)
Blend until smooth!
It tasted JUST like brownie batter and was a great post-workout drink that satisfied my craving for chocolate and sweets. I'm a bit obsessed now and just had to share!
Only 140 calories and 17 grams of protein!

One of my biggest issues that I've always had with weight loss is that my PCOS has consistently intervened whenever I approached that 20 lb mark and I plateaued with no end in sight. Now that I'm hovering around that post-op, my greatest fear is that it's going to be the same thing and the surgery will have worked for everyone else but me.
I did do a bit of cleaning out my drawers yesterday and I think I'll tackle all the jeans in my closet today. I bought a few new things in a size down in Old Navy, so that was positive.
One of my buddies that I've made on here really sat me down and hashed things out with me the other day. My doctor had never told me I was approved to go back to the gym and now that I'm 8 weeks out, I really wanted to get moving again. All the snow has made it impossible for me to take long walks around my neighborhood like I did in the summer and fall when I started my nutrition. She was shocked I still hadn't been approved, since she'd found exercise was crucial as early as the first month and when she got lazy, it was when she stalled on the scale. I just got approved to go back to full gym activities this morning, so I can't wait to go restart my membership!
@@Kindle, I'm sure you've been very supportive for others and I'm sorry you feel offended. It's just that when I was miserable and depressed, the last thing I wanted to hear was that what I was feeling was ridiculous and that I was being a whiner.

Thank you to everyone who was supportive in their comments. @@hockeydog, thank you so much for chiming in and letting me know that I'm not alone. I think it's also so frustrating for me because I tried to reach out to a few people who had undergone the sleeve before I did and were similar in age and stature to me. It seems as though the lot of them had reached their goal weight within 3-4 months and that just seems unattainable to me. I'm just worried about being atypically slow more than anything. I'm afraid that it'll be like it was before where I was super strict and did everything I should and would barely see the scale move.
And to agree with hockeydog here, @@Kindle, while I appreciate your advice to relax and be patient, I do not appreciate being lectured, told to get over it, and called a whiner. I posted here for support and understanding, not to deal with belligerent responses.

I was playing around with my NINJA blender the other day and discovered this fantastic recipe!
1/2 container Premiere Protein chocolate shake
1 SF Jello Dark chocolate pudding Cup
Handful of crushed ice (5-7 cubes)
Blend until smooth!
It tasted JUST like brownie batter and was a great post-workout drink that satisfied my craving for chocolate and sweets. I'm a bit obsessed now and just had to share!
Only 140 calories and 17 grams of protein!

Thank you so much for this thread, OP! It has made me feel a TON better!
I was sleeved on 1/21/15 and while I gained TEN pounds in the hospital due to being pumped with fluids and inflammation, I lost those pounds within two days of being home. My starting weight was 228, DOS weight 212. By week 3, I had lost thirteen pounds and FINALLY dipped into one-derland.
As of today, I'm a little over three months out and weight 186.6. I was fighting depression the last few weeks that my weight loss compared to that of others was on the low side. I was convinced I was doing something wrong, but a wise person on the boards told me that the closer our BMIs get to the ideal range, the slower the weight loss is. I'm losing about 1.5 pounds per week since the dreaded Weeks 3-5 stall.
My doctor cleared me for full cardio and weights at the gym two weeks ago and I've only made it to a handful of classes due to exams, but now will be able to go at least 3 days a week for a cardio day, arms day, and kickboxing day. I'm hoping that helps me lose a little more.
On the upside, even if I can boost myself to 2.5-3 pounds a week (which I'd LOVEEEEE and be totally happy with), I think my weight loss will be slow enough to avoid loose skin, especially in light of my age.
How've you all been doing lately? Has anyone found that starting back up at the gym help kick your weight loss a little more in gear?

I was playing around with my NINJA blender the other day and discovered this fantastic recipe!
1/2 container Premiere Protein chocolate shake
1 SF Jello Dark chocolate pudding Cup
Handful of crushed ice (5-7 cubes)
Blend until smooth!
It tasted JUST like brownie batter and was a great post-workout drink that satisfied my craving for chocolate and sweets. I'm a bit obsessed now and just had to share!
Only 140 calories and 17 grams of protein!

I was playing around with my NINJA blender the other day and discovered this fantastic recipe!
1/2 container Premiere Protein chocolate shake
1 SF Jello Dark chocolate pudding Cup
Handful of crushed ice (5-7 cubes)
Blend until smooth!
It tasted JUST like brownie batter and was a great post-workout drink that satisfied my craving for chocolate and sweets. I'm a bit obsessed now and just had to share!
Only 140 calories and 17 grams of protein!

Two things:
1) I only told a handful of people in my life to be perfectly honest. My parents and my kid sister, but that was a given because I'm in grad school and live at home. They were at the hospital with me the day of surgery and my mom took me home the next day. I did not tell my older half-brother who lives in Florida (whereas I'm in NJ) because he is not a supportive or understanding person and it's not his business what I do with my body. (Also, he's always on some ridiculous meathead diet and will claim he's lost 90 lbs, when he's clearly gained, so... whatever).
I also told maybe four of my closest girlfriends, who have been incredibly supportive. They called or texted me frequently while I was recovering, even sent flowers. I'm glad I have a few friends I can be open with about my journey.
I was out of school for nearly three weeks. I only planned on two, but then my sister brought home a virus from high school that ran rampant through my house and it took me out of commission for another week. But I told some of my classmates that the surgery wasn't anything life-threatening, but necessary. (I told the girls it was a lady issue and I needn't add any more!) Everyone has noticed a major difference though.
2) I work part time at Torrid, which is a plus sized women's clothing store that's fairly popular here in the US. During the holiday season, a pair of women came in to buy sweaters and said they were interested in items that could accommodate weight loss, such as stretchy sweaters and belted tops. They explained they'd recently had the sleeve and when I said I was having it the following month, one woman looked at me with a scowl and asked "Why?" The other whacked her on the arm and said "If she feels she needs this, then all the more power to her!"
It's honestly the first time I'd ever heard that when I talked to anyone about it. I was surprised at how many customers that came into my store had undergone the procedure!
The irony is that my surgeon said to me he wishes that people came to him when they were my age (24 when I saw him for the consultation) and my size (my BMI was 39.6, but I have PCOS so it was considered a comorbidity and was 36 the day of surgery.) Even the nurses and other doctors I saw as part of my pre-op insurance requirements (cardiologist, etc) told me that I was an excellent candidate for the surgery because I was not that big and in otherwise pretty okay health, so I should have a better recovery and better response overall. (Yay to little loose skin!)
Now, my BMI is just a hair over 32. I'm coming to terms with the slower weight loss compared to others with more to lose and I'm really enjoying cleaning out my closet of my old clothes.

Thank you to everyone who was supportive in their comments. @@hockeydog, thank you so much for chiming in and letting me know that I'm not alone. I think it's also so frustrating for me because I tried to reach out to a few people who had undergone the sleeve before I did and were similar in age and stature to me. It seems as though the lot of them had reached their goal weight within 3-4 months and that just seems unattainable to me. I'm just worried about being atypically slow more than anything. I'm afraid that it'll be like it was before where I was super strict and did everything I should and would barely see the scale move.
And to agree with hockeydog here, @@Kindle, while I appreciate your advice to relax and be patient, I do not appreciate being lectured, told to get over it, and called a whiner. I posted here for support and understanding, not to deal with belligerent responses.

Just trust in the process. The weight will come off. Trust me. I've been a some-what slow looser the entire time. What I can tell you, is now 11 months post-op, I now credit that slow weight loss (and pretty good genetics) for having very little loose skin after losing almost 90 pounds. So think of that perk every time you want to rush through the process!!!! I remember reading that it takes your skin 2-3 months to adjust every time you lose weight. There would be times my thighs would look horrific and a few months later would bounce back into shape. Those of us with a lower beginning BMI won't have the dramatic weight loss of someone heavier. It doesn't do much good to compare yourself to others. I know I did and I just ended up miserable. I was 241 at my heaviest and weighed 226 the day of surgery. I am now 152 11 months post-op and 7 pounds away from my stretch goal of 145. I never thought it would happen. And one day... It did.
Btw - I also have PCOS. That is how I qualified for wls with a bmi of 38

Thank you to everyone who was supportive in their comments. @@hockeydog, thank you so much for chiming in and letting me know that I'm not alone. I think it's also so frustrating for me because I tried to reach out to a few people who had undergone the sleeve before I did and were similar in age and stature to me. It seems as though the lot of them had reached their goal weight within 3-4 months and that just seems unattainable to me. I'm just worried about being atypically slow more than anything. I'm afraid that it'll be like it was before where I was super strict and did everything I should and would barely see the scale move.
And to agree with hockeydog here, @@Kindle, while I appreciate your advice to relax and be patient, I do not appreciate being lectured, told to get over it, and called a whiner. I posted here for support and understanding, not to deal with belligerent responses.

The lower your BMI the slower the weight loss. Here are my words to you...one you ONLY lost 20lbs in your 6 month mandated diet and in two weeks you ONLY lost 20lbs? I think that is a great loss and even though we all go through these stalls I've had two so far which added up to a MONTH of no weight loss, you will lose again. Up your Protein change up your workout and just be patient. So frustrating I know I cried a couple of days. I wouldn't change anything though. Also...two you might not be losing weight but check those inches. While I didn't lose lbs I did lose 17inches! Whip out that measuring tape and enjoy this journey. GOOD LUCK!

Be patient, stick with your program and you'll be pleasantly surprised. Good luck & stay focused.

I went in at 212 for surgery on 1/21 and weighed in when I got home the next day on 1/22 (around 2pm) at 225. I was shocked, but judging by the ridiculous amount of bathroom trips I was making and what I could remember of the nurses constantly changing out my IV bags, I knew I'd been pumped with a TON of Fluid.
It took me about four days to get it all out of my system and then the weight was pouring off a pound a day. It's PERFECTLY normal. Don't freak out.

Hey, everyone! I'm officially one month out from being sleeved and while I'm doing well, I seem to struggle with the size of my sips of Water and tea. I try to take small ones, but it doesn't seem small enough. However, I found a water bottle that forces me to take the perfect sized sips!


It's called the Rubbermaid Chug Bottle (which is VERY misleading) and comes in 30 and 20 oz sizes.





I used to use the camelbacks, but in addition to getting just plain gross, they also involve straws which are a no-no.


I treat the opening of the Rubbermaid bottle like a straw in a way, sipping from the spout. I get very little in my mouth this way, but it's really perfect. I've stopped getting nauseated from my big sips!


The large size bottle was around $8 at my local grocery store and cleans easily in my sink or dishwasher, so I'm not really worried about the gunk like what formed in my old CamelBack.


Anyway, just thought I'd pass this along. You can see it online at the link below!


Hope this helps some of you with the same problem! My stomach has been thanking me all day.


http://www.rubbermaid.com/Category/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?Prod_ID=RP092024


Side note: I'm a law student. I have no affiliation with this product. I just know it saves me from being REALLY uncomfortable during 2 hr lectures!

Hey, everyone! I'm officially one month out from being sleeved and while I'm doing well, I seem to struggle with the size of my sips of Water and tea. I try to take small ones, but it doesn't seem small enough. However, I found a water bottle that forces me to take the perfect sized sips!


It's called the Rubbermaid Chug Bottle (which is VERY misleading) and comes in 30 and 20 oz sizes.





I used to use the camelbacks, but in addition to getting just plain gross, they also involve straws which are a no-no.


I treat the opening of the Rubbermaid bottle like a straw in a way, sipping from the spout. I get very little in my mouth this way, but it's really perfect. I've stopped getting nauseated from my big sips!


The large size bottle was around $8 at my local grocery store and cleans easily in my sink or dishwasher, so I'm not really worried about the gunk like what formed in my old CamelBack.


Anyway, just thought I'd pass this along. You can see it online at the link below!


Hope this helps some of you with the same problem! My stomach has been thanking me all day.


http://www.rubbermaid.com/Category/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?Prod_ID=RP092024


Side note: I'm a law student. I have no affiliation with this product. I just know it saves me from being REALLY uncomfortable during 2 hr lectures!

I have run the Vitamin gamut the past four weeks. I started out on opurity and by Day 4, was throwing it up. Got switched to Flintstones chewables, only to find out I was allergic because I kept breaking out in hives randomly throughout the day. Was told by the doctor not to switch to a new Vitamin until this one worked its way out of my system. Then I started the Celebrate chewables and those just never sat right with me either and I hated the taste of the Centrum ones.
My doctor allowed me to start back on my birth control again for my PCOS this week and I have heard from numerous people on here that they were taking regular pills again by Week 2. I've started taking the Alive multivitamin for women that was recommended to me prior to surgery. The pill isn't too big.
I've also found Iron and B12 that are the size of a tic tac, so I've been taking those as well without an issue. The chewables just aren't okay for me and I suspect, you're the same. I totally get it and sympathize with you!

I just got the Celebrate chewables and while they're not great, they're tolerable and don't make me sick. So that's a major plus, obviously. I think maybe it was the dye in the Flintstones Vitamins since small children seem to experience something similar.
That all being said, my sister came home from school with a head cold that my grandmother caught and despite my mother being adamant that they was their hands and use one delegated bathroom, my grandmother apparently does not care to cover her mouth and continued to use my bathroom. So needless to say, I was infected.
I'm sneezing a lot which is hurting my stomach, but the runny nose has subsided. What's worse is that I'm obviously not taking anything for this because I can't take pills. So just my Vitamins and my normal fluids, it is. I tried some wonton Soup (sans wontons), but it made me sick. I think it was the high oil content. I don't know.
Rough few days and the scale stopped moving. *sighs*

I think we're all two weeks out now, at least. How are you all doing? I FINALLY dropped into ONE-derland this morning at 198.6! :-D

I was fortunate in that after my six months of supervised nutrition, my doctor was satisfied with my weight loss that he told me I only had to be on a pre-op liquid diet the day before surgery. So I spent the two weeks beforehand eating a treat item each day to satisfy anything I was craving in order to not be missing anything after surgery.
Of course, I'm still craving a few things: pizza, BBQ burger, donuts, empanadas (which I haven't eaten in a decade, so... where the hell that came from I have no idea), and chicken nuggets. Also, this turkey meatloaf from Whole Foods that I'm obsessed with, but I'm going to buy it in the pureed foods stage and blend it up because it's insanely high in Protein.

I think we're all two weeks out now, at least. How are you all doing? I FINALLY dropped into ONE-derland this morning at 198.6! :-D

Good for you, @@Jenngf5! I I finally closed the bottom button on my peacoat today! I'd been able to do it for the past two months, but this time it didn't pull!