SarahSleeve

So happy to hear you got your date! You are just a few weeks away from the losers' bench now!

Rather than long winded responses, I feel that long winded videos explain stuff better.

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Starting my pre-op diet tomorrow! It's just high protein/low carb so it's not too bad. Just need to pick up some veggies and meats tomorrow and I'm good to go 16 days to go! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING!

March 3, 2017
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Just checked my insurance website and it looks like I got an approval for surgery! I wasn't super concerned since I've done everything required but it's still nice to know that's done and good to go
Pre-op diet starts Monday!

Just got scheduled for the 21st! 20 days to go

Well today is my year 1 surgeversery. I will try to keep it short, but all I can say is I am so happy I did the surgery. I am so much healthier. I need to do the measurements. I am just 1 pound shy of my goal. I started at 240 and today I was 141. I am very happy with my progress. I just got home from Switzerland where my "good time" was doing a 6 mile run along the Rhine instead of eating my way through all of their foods. I had a decadent chocolate every day and that was ok. The old me would have bought boxes of chocolates as presents to bring home and would have eaten them all in the middle of the night.
I am thankful everyday for this. I am going to be brave and post pictures. My friend stored my before pictures which are actually about 3 weeks post surgery because I couldn't stand looking at them. She texted them to me today and told me not to be upset and think how far I came. I was more sad at the thought that I let myself go through life for years like that and missed out on all of the happiness I have been feeling since the weight loss. I am 3 weeks away from my 46th birthday and I feel younger now than in my 30's. The happiness I feel now comes from feeling so healthy and strong and sporty . So cheers to me And cheers to you! Without the support of you great people I couldn't have done it. And cheers to you newbies who are on this site researching wls. I won't tell you what to do as it is a personal choice, but I can say healthy is the new sexy. The after pics are 1: after my 3rd 5k and 2: my pilates studio Christmas party
 
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I am that warped person that kept my band after removal! So far, so good with everything. This was the best decision that I could have made. I can now eat healthier food without that stuck feeling and I don't have the acid and back pain issues that I used to have! It took removing 60-70% of my stomach for me to feel normal again. BEST. DECISION.EVER.
Banded 2010 weight:327
Sleeved 12/28/16 weight:253
Currently 222.9lbs
104 lbs down!!
Heather in Texas

My wardrobe over the past many years has been varying shades of black or gray (see last pic). I have been shopping thrift stores mainly until I get to a place where my weight stabilizes, but decided I could use a couple of new items, so I decided to splurge. I bought WHITE pants!!! LOL. I know it may not seem like a big deal, but let me tell you, it really is. I've always carried so much of my weight in my butt and thighs and always chose dark colors for skirts and pants. It felt so good to buy a nice pair of white pants for spring, lol. In a size 10 no less. Squeeee!!!! 5 months out and gone from a size 18/20 in pants to a size 10!!! I am doing a celebration dance over here! No regrets!

Hello everyone!
I usually don't create a whole topic just for myself, but today is a little special since it has been exactly one year since I've had my surgery, time sure flies, especially when you go through a physical change of this ... magnitude.
In a year, I have indeed lost 53kilos (117pounds according to google). I never thought I would look like I do today and I am really glad I took the dicision of having my gastric sleeve, it has helped my health (no more sleep apneas! I can swim and bike again!), it has changed my perspective toward food (I actually prefer eating now since I don't hate myself after each meal anymore), I have changed my life habits in many ways and last but not least, I feel way happier nowadays.
Here are so before after after pics
Before:


And these after some after pictures:

So, yeah, voilà! Good luck for everyone! I know the first months are quite hard, but it was all worth it for me, and I could not be more glad about the results!
Have a great day

SW: 243.6 lbs. on 11/18/2016
CW: 199.0 lbs. on 02/23/2017

There are lots of support groups and this site is a wealth of support also. I'm sure many of us have had those same thoughts in the beginning. Just ask yourself do you want to be healthy and prolong your life, and better your livelihood. I think from your post, you've already answered that question. You can do this. It won't be easy, but anything worth having is never easy. Good luck to you!

Here is a before and after of me. My surgery was march 7th. I've had great results with CMC.

Thanks for the support!! I appreciate it more than you know. Only 4 people know I'm doing this and I don't talk about it much off this forum, so I get the majority of my support here!
On another note - Target had swimsuits out when I went today. Ugh! So glad I'll be a few months post op when the heat returns this Summer. I cover up with a light sweater year round because I don't want my rolls exposed. I can't wait to be comfortable in tanks and shorts, and not be afraid to swim in my pool in front of other people!
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I've been poring over the before/after threads and the success stories and keep breaking down in tears. I *so* want to be a success story some day, so bad that it hurts. It also scares me though. Not the actual surgery, but the changes that will come in my life after. If I have the surgery in early Fall I could feasibly be up to 100lbs lighter by this time next year (I have 125 to lose to get to the middle of "normal" for my height). That's terrifying. I've never really been a normal weight, not since I was 5 years old. I was bullied (majorly) as a fat kid, ignored as a fat teen and adult except for my close groups of friends. Always been insecure and hiding myself from others. I learned to survive in my own head, ignoring the haters and loving myself regardless. I am incredibly lucky to have found love in high school and am still married to him now (together going on 20 years). How will my relationship change? I've never been thin with him, not really. Maybe a few times when I starved myself for a trip/event I got down to a size 12. But otherwise - I was even 225lbs at my wedding (size 16 dress). And now I'm a size 20, have been for years. He's always been a healthy weight. He has NEVER complained about my weight, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind a more agile, active wife/mother of his kids. Who wouldn't?
I've been fat so long that I don't know myself any other way. How do I do this and not lose who I am?
Just rambling. First info seminar on Friday. It's starting!

****I will likely be adding random posts to this thread to keep myself motivated and on target as I get this process rolling. No worries if no one reads/responds, but I need to put it somewhere and it needs to be more public than a journal for me to feel that it's real.****
I've been on this site all weekend. Reading about people's journeys, looking at the before/after threads (which are incredibly motivating and wonderful), looking for any negatives people have had. I can honestly say I am truly ready for this. In the past I'd read a few negatives and be like "nope, not going to risk it!" and move on to my yo-yo cycle of diet and weight loss/gain. This time, I am thinking "worth the risk".
I am too young for this to be my life. Being too tired to go for a long walk/bike ride with my kids and when I do, feeling it for DAYS afterwards. Having knees that creak when I go up stairs. Being winded after a walk to the mailbox!! I'm just now starting to realize just how unhealthy I am. Being that I didn't have any major medical issues before I was diagnosed with high blood pressure last year (besides hypothyroidism, but that's not going away regardless of my weight), I never really though I was "that big" or unhealthy in general. I'm now beginning to accept just how large I truly am. You'd think the little number 20 on my pants would be enough to tell me that, but I guess I just saw what I wanted.
I've read that people my size can hope/expect to lose up to 100lbs the 12 to 18 months if I'm careful and stick to the rules. Last time I was that weight was high school, and that was only because I'd basically starved myself for several months before a school Disney trip. I looked good! I still thought I was fat. Hindsight, I know. I'd LOVE to be that weight again. I've been 220+ since before i got married back in 2002. This is not who I want to be. This is not me.
I'm ready to make a life-altering change now.

Thank you for the replies! I know I have a very long journey ahead of me but just knowing that I'm 100% ready and there are others I can turn to when I have questions makes me feel like I really can succeed! Here's to being healthier and happier by this time next year

Feb 23, 2017

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Finally met with the doc today. She cleared me to meet the surgeon and is submitting my application to insurance. I meet the surgeon next week! She said this could move fast since she was out for three weeks and they didn't have anyone scheduling people. I might get in before the end of March after all!

I found Premier Protein brand bars and they are pretty good! They have meal bars with 30g Protein and snack bars with 15g protein and 7g. So far I've liked every flavor I've tried.

Fellow sleevers unite! I remember you all, surfing through these forums for hours worried about my surgery but excited for the potential health and physical change. Now I'm on the other side almost 5 months out and want to share my story with those that are waiting in anticipation or a few days out wondering whats next. I was sleeved on 09/29/2017. At my surgery I weight 363 and my weight when I started the liquid diet was 380.4. I think I ended up topping out somewhere around 387 in the days or weeks before the liquid diet. As of this morning I weight 273.8. So roughly 107 lbs in 5 months. I'll take it! Size wise I am currently a 38 waist, and XXL top. I was a 46/48 waist and 4XL a few short months ago. My overall goal is 225 (I'm 6'2). Here is my lame attempt at a Letterman style top ten list but backwards. Time flies, enjoy the ride, and the compliments

Losing weight is cool. Growing saggy man skin tits not.
Pretty Pimpin’ by Kurt Vile is on my sleeve journey mix tape.
Its great being able to sit in a chair and not worry about breaking it.
I used to love Soup. That was before eating it everyday for 4 weeks.
Only fat people wear fitbits. I wore mine, and it was stupid. I've never seen any active person actually wearing one. I probably exercise more without it.
You can weigh yourself everyday. I did, its OK. First thing in the morning, post dump, post shower. I’m suprised I haven’t gone through a costco size pack of AA batteries.
Levi’s that aren’t loose or baggy fit = AWESOME!
I am no longer that fattest person everywhere I go, There are a crapload fatter than me.....I know as I just got back from Disney.
Sex gets better with every 20 lbs.
Holy shit, I’m not sweating!

@@SarahSleeve thank you for posting your updates! Keep pushing forward!
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Thank you so much for writing out your journey. I thought I would be able to get sleeved before the summer then it turned into fall and I was just sleeved on 1/5. My surgeon didn't have any weight loss requirements pre surgery so I didn't have to do that. I look forward to following your journey. You are a pretty talented writer and enjoyed your posts very much.
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It's hard for me to see the difference since I had surgery so I compared pictures and what a difference! So glad I got sleeved!! 

I'm still pre-op but I've been on here reading for about a year. It seems to be very common to lose quickly for a couple weeks and then stall for a bit right after surgery - your body is healing and is like "what's going on??" Give it time, keep doing what your surgeon recommends, and don't get discouraged! The weight loss will start up again.

If you search "Week three stall" I bet you'll find a lot of posts with people facing the same thing you are, at the same point.