alwest68

Just got off the phone with the scheduler my surgery date is June 20th!
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I know I know...I just want it over with..I hate the waiting...I think of all that can go wrong and I worry about everything. lol It is a bad habit of mine...I start my liquid diet next friday! They want me to do a weigh in on monday...That is strange...My pro op day is 7-4 on june 1st.

It will be here before you know it.

mine is june 17th! seems so far away still

Hey guys! I was sleeved on Feb 25th and so far so good! I'm down 50lbs... I couldn't believe it when I stepped on the scale. I still get cramped up at times and the triggers are so real especially since we get caterers come into the office I work at. How's everyone doing?? Post pics too if you'd like!

So here it is....my daughter had this in her room and gave it to me. My highest weight was 297. Pre surgery 267, now 145. I'm 5'8 and it took me a little less than a year. Enjoy! Lol!!! Sorry it's sideways. I'm adding a side by side for comparison.

Down to 159 pounds woohooooo. Started at 263 pds 5 months out gastric sleeve.
Sent from my SM-G900R4 using the BariatricPal App

Thank you for all the encouragement. I just have to say that a huge part of my success is that my husband has committed to a healthier lifestyle too. (He did not have WLS but we are eating healthy and working out.)
This picture shows how far we both have come!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hi my name is Michele Darden, I live in Houston, TX. I was sleeved 08/30 15. I can say that it has changed my life for the better.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using the BariatricPal App

I'll be 7 months post op next week. I'm down 106 pounds. I'm proud of my progress but I am still having issues with seeing myself as a smaller me.

I'm so happy! Best decision of my life! I would do this again in a heartbeat! Almost 2 months out on Sunday! Surgery date was March 15, 2016. Started at 236.8 Current 198.2! Progress!

Hey guys I was looking at my pictures from last March when I weighed 355 lbs vs yesterday when I weighed myself and saw that I was 225 lbs. Crazy!
Sent from my A846L using the BariatricPal App

Yesterday was my one year Surgiversary!! Woohoo!!!! Hard to believe that I have made it this far, but alas, here I am... *AND* I have not only survived but I am loving life. There is so much to reflect on, but overall, I truly believe this was the best decision I have ever made and I am now a happier, healthier version of me. That’s not to say that the past year hasn’t been without its share of ups and downs … plenty of those! However, all in all, if I had to go back to the point of no return I can honestly say I would be willing to do it all over again.
Here’s how things are looking…
HW: 305lbs
SW: 265lbs
CW: 173lbs
Total weight lost: 132lbs
Clothes: From a size 5X or 26/28 to a size L or 10/12
Health: Diabetes - Controlled without medication (Fasting glucose avg.105 with no meds from 155 on high dose of meds), Blood Pressure - Controlled without medication, Cholesterol - Controlled without medication, Previous Spine Injury - Controlled with OTC meds as needed.
Fitness: From being able to walk less than 15 minutes on a treadmill in physical therapy to having completed 10+ 5K races with my most recent at a sub-13 minute mile pace. Registered to walk my first marathon in September 2016.
Goals: I don’t have a target weight, as this was never about a number for me. My surgeon would like to see me at 150lbs. We’ll see. Non-weight goals have been my focus all along and this is the direction I continue to move.
What have I learned? LOTS!!! I could seriously write a book, but then again, couldn’t we all?!?! Here are the things that really stick out to me. As a graduate speaker at my program, these are the things I try to stress to new patients as they begin the process.
Listen to your team! They really do know what they are doing. My NUT has been super supportive and told me that it was better to ask questions than to worry myself over nothing. I eventually stopped calling her regularly, but just having those niggling little questions answered was a huge weight off my shoulders. When they say drink X-amount of Water, drink it. When they say eat X-amount of Protein, eat it. There really is a reason behind your program and following it will help you a 100 times over.
Listen to your body. It will talk to you … and I don’t mean all the gurgles and sounds from your new sleeve! When I found myself getting sluggish and tired I needed to look at my protein and water intake. Was I getting enough? Usually the answer was a resounding NO. When my sleeve revolted and I had uncomfortable cramping, had I eaten something new or different? YUP … usually, but as I continued to re-introduce more foods I found the discomfort would lessen and go away much faster. Certain foods may never like you again. Find something new to try. Your palate will change some & you might like something that you never did before. You know your body better than anyone else. If something seems wrong, don’t ignore it, ask. But try not to let it control you either.
Stalls happen, get used to it. I started out weighing myself every day and it quickly took a psychological toll on me. I needed to stop for the sake of my own sanity. I actually had my husband hide the scale on me and only allow me to have it once a week. Now it sits in the bedroom, but I still only weigh on Monday mornings (surgery was a Monday so I stuck with that day). Stalls have plagued me throughout the past year beginning with the dreaded 3 week post-op stall. I don’t like them & I get frustrated, but I am now used to them. Current stall has lasted me 2 ½ weeks so far. The scale will move eventually and I will move on with life until the next one.
Choose NSVs as goals and reward yourself when you reach them. Non-Scale Victories are my best friend! I started walking shortly after surgery & built up my distance from one block to the point of doing 3+ miles at a 25 minute mile pace in just 3 months, as an incentive I registered for a popular local race. When I finished my first 5K I bought myself a treat (Coloring Books! Not food-based). When I finished my first 10K I went shopping for a new bedroom comforter set. When I reached my first sub-13 minute pace I bought new running sneakers. My NSVs have kept me motivated and kept the focus OFF the scale … which often doesn’t move as quickly as I’d like.
You will change … maybe not your morals and values and the things at the core of your being, but your outlook and your confidence and the way you see yourself. It will be difficult at times. Make sure you have a good support system to help you through, and if you don’t consider seeing a therapist. So many times my husband and my best friend have listened to me rant and rave like a crazed lunatic. They let me cry it out & yell it out, and in the end, talk it out. Sometimes it has been stupid piddly sh!t that set me off, but right then it was all I could focus on and I needed to vent in order to move past it. People say things that they don’t mean to be negative, but being in an overly sensitive state I found things that normally didn’t bother me were my total undoing. I have (mostly) come to terms with the new “ME” … I don’t hide behind my weight anymore. I am not invisible. But I have had to learn how to handle this new found confidence and channel it in a positive way. My friends don’t treat me any differently than before, but some acquaintances and co-workers have been snide and negative. Let it go … they don’t define you, YOU do!
This is *YOUR* journey, and yours alone. You will have people support you and encourage you, and there may be those who try to tear you down. Your weight loss will be different than the next person, and different still than the person after that. Do not compare yourself to others or try to keep up with anyone else. I did not go through with my WLS for anyone other than myself, and that is the only comparison I should make. What’s the quote? “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Take the first step, and the next, and the next. Keep moving forward. Remember now and then to look back and see where you’ve been, and look ahead to where you are going, but don’t forget to stop and see where you are right now. Live your life, don’t just exist while trying to get to your goals.
I still have a long way to go, and goals that I want to achieve. I want to LIVE my life and not be limited by my size...I want to take a trip and not need a seat belt extender for the plane ride. I want to go to the caverns this summer and not be told I am too big to go in the crawl spaces. I want to try zip lining and be able to fit in the harness. I want to go on a cruise and I want to wear a bathing suit without being embarrassed. I want to be in a size 8/10 at least ONCE in my life. I want to be in photos with my children and grandchildren and not always be hiding behind the camera.
The good news is that I am on my way! And even better, I am determined to not only reach my goals, but to enjoy myself as I do. This summer I will do my first 10-mile race, and in September I will walk a marathon. We have a family trip planned and it will be my first plane ride since WLS. I can’t wait to just sit down & buckle up! I bought a bathing suit for the first time in years that doesn’t cover more than it shows. And I have started smiling and taking “selfies” with my granddaughter on a regular basis. My husband and I have grown even closer than before, and together we are building our “life after children”.
By the way ... in the photos I attached, the before pictures are literally from the day before my surgery and then two weeks after surgery. The after photos are from two days ago … almost exactly one year from my WLS.

On May 12, 2015, I had my weight loss surgery in Tijuana. I had a procedure called Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, or "gastric sleeve" for short. About 80% of my stomach was removed. The normal human stomach is about the size of a football. My new stomach is the size of a banana. As a result of the surgery I can only consume small portions of food, ranging from a few ounces to a cup of food, depending upon what I'm eating. However, the amazing thing about this is that I am fully satiated from eating so little. When our stomachs are full they send signals to the brain that makes us feel satiated and we stop eating. Since my stomach is so small I get those signals way quicker and with very little food. So I feel satiated off of a few ounces of food while a person without the surgery may have to eat an entire plate of food, or more. Before surgery I could eat an entire large pizza by myself in one sitting. Today I can't even finish one slice. I believe the surgery, along with quitting smoking, saved my life.
My Stats:
Highest Recorded Weight - 388 lbs
Weight at Time I Decided to Have Surgery - 370 lbs
Weight on Day of Surgery - 350 lbs
Weight One Year After Surgery - 190 lbs (and still losing!)
Goal Weight - 170 lbs
Total Weight Loss To Date - 180 lbs
Highest Recorded BMI (Body Mass Index) - 50.2
Current BMI - 25.8
Largest Pant Size - 46
Current Pant Size - 32
Largest Shirt Size - 4X
Current Shirt Size - L to XL
I want to give a shout out to my niece, Jazmine, who thought it was funny to say that my legs are so skinny they look like teenage girl legs. Trust me, I am taking that as a compliment! I would rather have "teenage girl legs" than massive tree trunks. Also, a shout out to my friends who told me that I went from a "2" to an "8" on a scale of attractiveness. That was much appreciated! Finally, a shout out to my bestie Michelle who told me that "Now there is no one out of your league, only people beneath you." (Kind of a mean-spirited comment but a definite ego-booster!) LOL
So what's next? Well, I have 20 more pounds to lose and then I will be at my goal weight. I also need to start saving for my plastic surgery to have my excess skin removed. It's weird because even though I lost the weight I am still majorly self-conscious because the excess skin is so ugly. I would not be comfortable at all with taking off my shirt in public. Even after the surgery I will still probably be majorly self-conscious because I will have so many scars. I will probably look like a sexy Frankenstein's monster. So it will be real ironic if after all this is said and done that I still would not feel comfortable taking off my shirt in public. All I can do is take it one day at a time and hope for the best.
BEFORE and AFTER pictures below!

I was sleeved on July of 2014. It has been a long journey of learning patience, will power, and effort. Surgery is not a solution, but it is a great tool. You get out of it exactly what you put into it. No regrets so far!
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am 3 years out and I am at my all time lowest weight! I have fluctuated over these years 10-15 pounds. I am beyond ecstatic at this accomplishment as I have undergone an excessive amount of stress and emotional turmoil. This is the best decision of my life. Use your tool, to lose!
Highest weight: 237
Today's weight: 142
Height: 5'3"
New Goal weight: 125- 130
I drink about 120 ounces of Water daily. Lean meats and veggies. Recently started training again. Circuit training and strength training. I have not had any plastics whatsoever. 100% natural all around.
Beauty hack for WLS patients. These 3 things have helped tremendously to reduce cellulite, rippling and smoothing the surface. The Nivea works amazing! I've lost nearly 100 pounds and no one can tell. The Preparation H works to reduce cellulite and contour as well. It's also good for bags under your eyes. The wrap helps me tighten my tummy bulge and shape my waist. Seriously folks, reasonably priced and worth the time. I usually apply twice daily, immediately after showering. It helps if you exfoliate well and apply compression of some form. The waist band, saran wrap or under armor. You can find at your local drugstore or Walmart.

I've decided I'm never going to miss a "Transformation Tuesday" again. it keeps me focused on what i'm doing, what i'm trying to accomplish and reminds me where i came from. im still a work in progress but everyday i get closer.

This week started off like most others, I just came back to work after almost a week off. I had to go to Iowa and help my dad with some moving related stuff. I was afraid my workout might suffer after taking so many resting days. Well, my leg day workout wasn't inspirational that's for sure. But as I always do on Mondays, I weighed in. 202! Wow, I did not expect that. I had been hovering between 205 and 208 for a while and was totally cool with it.
Then it hit me... I still have my shoes on, my phone, and my headphones on. So I shucked them off and weighed again. 199. On. The. Dot. I mean it was a solid 199, not teetering, but a even balanced 199! But wait... this could be a fluke. So I went to my YMCA gym later that night. Boom, 199. OK, this is amazing. But it could still be a fluke. Today, I go to the gym and weigh myself yet again. 199. Ladies and gentlemen, I am calling it. I actually hit my stretch goal. I was so stoked! So I go over to my nemesis to get it over with and out of the way. The dreaded pull ups. I have been training by doing negatives. So I drag a bench over to the pull up bar and climb up and assume my position hanging from the bar. And I am just hanging there man. Then it hits me... I'm not slowly going down. I'm actually staying above the bar. So I let myself down, and in a moment of pure otherworldly perception, I pulled myself up... up... and over the bar! I JUST DID A PULL UP. The first one in my entire life. I must find my 7th grade gym teacher and make him watch! I was so amazed, I thought I would do it again. And I did! And again. And... not this time. I got 3 perfect pull ups though. So then I went on to do the rest of my workout, but I kept eye-ballin the pull up bar. So I went back over and did another 2! I am literally stunned. All in all I ended up doing 10 honest to goodness pull ups.
Needless to say, this has got to be the best day since my surgery. A day I honestly did not think was really going to happen no matter how hard I worked. I'm under 200 lbs and I can do a fricken' pull-up.
@@BigTink2LilTink @@Dub - your time is coming. I expect to hear some victory stories from you guys soon!

You look great. Keep up the good work.

You look great. Keep up the good work.

We have a closed Facebook group for Summer Sleevers and our first one out of the group is having hers on May 25. If you all would like to join for a support group your more then welcome.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/sensationalsummer2016/

Down about 80 pounds from top pictures. Bottom pictures just taken today. #happy

Before HW 285
After CW 126
Gastric sleeve 10/20/2014
Size 20 down to size 0
Sent from my SM-G930V using the BariatricPal App

I'm finally seeing a difference in my body! I'm 3 months post-op as of today and I'm down 74 lbs. I'm staring to feel "normal" again and I'm loving it. I took a picture this weekend and was finally able to see some of my progress. We have to Celebrate all along the way!

Hey All, I have my last dietician appointment this Thursday. Then they will submit to insurance, so it looks like I will have a June/July date.
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App