Sleeve1stFitNext

Congratulations. It feels good to be on this side of the 100's. It only gets better as you keep working towards your goal.

Well said. Well said. We tend to stress over the smallest of things that are normal or soo small compared to the changes we are going through. It is best to relax. It took me over 8 months to figure that out.

The most weight I lost was 18lbs in one month. That was my first month lol. 55lbs since surgery.

I had heartburn, every time I had spicy food, chocolate or soda. Since losing the weight, I can eat spicy food but I have not had soda. My chocolate intake is more of a dark chocolate now. I have not had any heartburn. If I eat too much, I get a foamy feeling in my throat. If you are looking to lose 120 lbs. It is possible with both the Sleeve and Bypass. What is your current weight if you don't mind asking.

First things first. You look amazing and have done a great job.

Now, have you thought about contacting your surgical team to speak with the Psychologist or going to a support group? I am asking not to be mean or rude but because I was in that same mindset.

Everyone was telling me how much I lost or how great I looked and all I saw was loose skin and fat everywhere. This is not the way I thought my body would look. Although I thought I had realistic expectations, truthfully, I was hoping I would look like an Ashley Stewarts model with my small waist, flat tummy, big boobies and thick thighs. Well, I got a rude awakening. My dirty pillows (from Carrie - great book) have sagged and my tummy is stubborn at this point but smaller. I just could not see it.

I decided to see my Surgical Therapist and get help on my body image issues. I just feared the self-destruction path I would soon be heading down. I had not seen her since 2 months post-op. Just her reaction alone helped bust my insecurity bubble. She said something so ingenious, "You have spent more years looking at yourself from before your weight loss. Your mind has gotten used to seeing that old person in the mirror. It will take time for your mind to get used to seeing the new you". Those words made sense because I was having a hard time understanding why I could not see what everyone else was seeing.

I go see her once a month for 30 minutes. It has really helped me.

Honestly, stalls can last anywhere from a week to months.

I stalled (Months) and then gained 6lbs when I started lifting. Granted that was muscle. After months of gaining and growing my muscles and getting my body strong, I started adding more cardio and I am losing like I did the first month of surgery.

Take a look at what you are doing. It could be something that you changed recently that may need to be changed back.

Oh dear. Here is a sweet tip from us who have gone through this, RELAX. It's a stall. It happens multiple times during your first 18 months of expected weight loss.

Some people get it the first month, others get it later on. The key is to relax with the scale. If you stress about it, it keeps your cortisol levels high which then causes you to regain (mostly water) weight.

This is also your bodies way of letting you know that it is time to start exercising. Not heavy exertion but walking around more and trying to get that heart rate to about 115 steady - fat burning level.

Now is the time to start taking "before" pictures if you have not done already. Then compare to the photos before and after/now. You will be losing inches at this time, so pay attention to the following:

1) Do your clothes fit differently?

2) Are you feeling lighter on your feet or knees?

3) Are you drinking enough Water?

4) Are you meeting your bodies Protein needs?

5) Are you really doing what you are supposed to be doing?

These five questions are what you should keep in mind when going through a stall. It could be that you need to tweak somethings.

I hope to be like you when I grow up. Thank you for checking in 5 years later. It is nice to see someone that far out is still succeeding.

There are Pro's and Con's to each.

It all depends on how much you weigh (or want to lose) and how much you are willing to change your lifestyle. I have the sleeve and personally, it has worked wonders for me. I have not had any issues with malnutrition or lack of Protein.

However, when it comes to the scale and how slow it has been moving, I sometimes wish I would have gotten the bypass. But it is moving again. I just had to make some changes in my workout routines and drinking more Water.

Personally, I love Sleevie. She is great. And since I have the sleeve, I can talk positives all day. But hopefully, someone who has had Bypass surgery can tell you the wonderful side of it.

I was pretty much all of these people at one point of another lol. No shame in my game.

Well mines would not stop so I just cut it all off in December. It is different from person to person.

26 minutes ago, mitchjoann132010 said:

Absolutely, this sounds like a great idea!! Is there a link to this new Facebook group you are creating or is it still in progress. I would love to join!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/341461593034430/about/

It is okay to be scared due to the uncertainty of it all. The amount of weight you lose and how fast is not certain. The amount of loose skin is not certain. But what is certain, is that you can regain your life back and better your health from this. Truthfully, there is nothing you can do to prepare of the surgery. I was like you, I did it all, read it all, watched it all and I still was not prepared for what was to come.

I was not prepared to deal with my dependence of comfort foods, although I thought I had. Hell that first week, I cried at food commercials because I was depressed. I was not prepared that this would be an uphill battle for me with stalls lasting months.

But I was prepared to fight. I was prepared to keep pushing forward and not give up on myself. Like I tell others, the reason/reasons you had the surgery, is your anchor. Hold onto it because this can be hard.

I have a google spreadsheet that I have used to keep track of my weight every week. I also keep track of my inches.

Although it was scary, I would not go back for anything. I think you all have the ability to succeed. Help each other like my group helps me. Without them, I would have been lost.

Good luck!!!!

Have you guys thought about creating a Facebook group? I am asking because I am in one from 2017 and these ladies really have helped me a lot and really have kept me accountable to myself. I think you guys would benefit from a group like this. You can invite people who are having surgeries and you guys can encourage each other. Trust it is a lot easier when you have people who are dealing with the same issues. Just a thought.

I am a tad confused by this entire thread.

This is a forum and negative vibes will come your way. However, letting the negative vibes get to you only hurts you. I understand that people come at you the wrong way or give their two sense when you do not want it but if you post, everyone can see it and has a right to respond. Surgery or not. Remember that if you keep above the negativity, you are the bigger person.

Also, your thread came up while I was helping another member. I thought the subject sounded interesting so I read the whole things. The perks of loving to read.

Not everyone is going to support you. Also, they could be scared for you. If this is something that you want, go for it. It’s your life. Just remember, there are people who are here to support you and encourage you. Also, they will not understand what you are going through. Don’t let negativity stop you from taking back your life. Now is the time to pull in and focus on you.

I am sorry you do not have much support at home. It is something that will help you succeed because they won’t stress you out and cause you to relapse. However, you can do this!!

Welcome to the loser bench!! I was nervous too. No need to be. Trust your team. The excitement is the best part. I call my surgery date my Phoenix Day. It was the day, the old me was left on that surgical table and the new me was born. I have changed so much in a year. With 71 lbs gone, I can never imagine going back. I refuse. I love what I have accomplished. I done more in one year than I could ever imagine. It’s the best feeling and I cannot wait for when you feel that way!!!!

Good luck!!!

I wouldn’t suggest diet pills because they mess up your metabolism. Try increasing your Water intake. Increase the intensity of your workouts or adding an additional 30 minutes to your workout. Are you eating enough? Sometimes you may need to agh 50 calories on workout days.

I believe I was only allowed to have non-starchy vegetables and Protein Shakes. Mines was soo hard and I only had to do it for 14 days. I wish you the best of luck. I ate soo many pickles and cucumbers during that time.

Eating ice does not dehydrate you. However, since ice does not provide you with the amount of Water necessary to hydrate your body properly, it is not advised to only have ice. There is no way to eat enough ice to compensate for the amount of water you need to stay hydrated. Therefore, use ice to keep cool. Try drinking water at a warmer temperature.

Well, here a few:

1) Focus on your liquid intake. Drink your Gatorade and Water. You are not going to be hungry at this time. liquids will fill you easily.

2) Make sure to set reminders to get up and walk around. (It is soo easy to stay in bed when you are in pain but it is important)

3) Hot/Warm showers will be your best friend when your incisions or stomach starts hurting.

4) Make a pillow fort on your bed. One on each side. One your lower back. One between your hands. One under your lower back.

These are the main ones that I remember at this time.

If you have any specific remedies you would like, let me know.

I was not around you weight range when I had my surgery. However, loose skin can happen to anyone.

My suggestion is to start focusing on toning up the skin after about 2 months out (maybe sooner). It also depends on where you are carrying a lot of fat. Most people tend to not need surgery on their legs because it gains muscle and bounces back pretty nicely. However, stomach, back, and arms are the most difficult to tone up. You also want to spend at least a year truly trying to tighten your skin before deciding to get additional surgeries. My friend lost 100 lbs by dieting and exercising. Her stomach had loose skin but she has worked on it and the Abs have actually helped her tighten the skin up, as well as her arms.

Surgeons typically suggest waiting for 2 years before getting pregnant as your body is going through major changes and needs to adapt to the new calorie intake. If you are hoping to get pregnant prior to that time, it's probably best that you wait on the surgery. However, there are many women who have gotten pregnant right after surgery and have had healthy babies and a healthy pregnancy. It is that you will head into unfamiliar territory and a tricky situation. Good luck!!! Welcome to the Losers Bench.

I had an issue with cold Water. It was like my sleeve tenses up and limits the amount of water. However, I could drink a room temperature fine.

If nothing else cold or hot was giving you an issue, maybe it is more of a mindset thing. Are you a person that usually liked water? If not, you may have to put flavoring to the water.

I ate a lot of things at room temperature because too cold would not go down and too hot would hurt too.

Dumping sucks honestly. It can last until you get the food out of your system or it can last the entire day. It felt like I was getting my period (I have endometriosis). I get all the symptoms so I just get rid of it and then sleep.

The healing process depends on your body. I stayed out of work for 10 days as my job is highly stressful and demands a lot of attention and energy. However, I was energetic when I went back.

Personally, I use MyfitnessPal. It is easier for me to track and also I had it before my surgery. I tried Baritastic and it was not for me. I know people who prefer Baritastic over MyfitnessPal. I would say try them both out. They are both free and figure out which one works for you.

I had Ricotta bake at Phase 3 (soft foods) under my plan.