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I know it's so scary!! This is where we look into the abyss of the unknown and just have to take a leap. I was scared too. It wasn't an easy process but the results are by far SOOO worth it. You are gonna do great, you are doing something amazing for your future. It's not always going to be easy but it will most likely change your life for the better.

Surgery went great! I'm so excited to begin my new life!!!!

I got my sleeve done 9/20/16 and weighted in my highest weight at 445. I'm now 315. In less than 6 months I've lost another human being. It's insane.
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You look absolutely amazing, definitely an inspiration. I have one question. I have a couple tattoos and I was wondering how yours are doing? Have they changed at all with your transformation?

My surgery is on April 19th! My approval process has gone so fast I can hardly believe it.

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

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My surgery is on April 19th! My approval process has gone so fast I can hardly believe it.

My surgery is on April 19th! My approval process has gone so fast I can hardly believe it.

With my weekly meetings I have seen how much peoples taste buds vary. We were able to taste some of the various Protein Drinks my bariatric office has in their store and my friend and I had very different opinions. To each their own. Plus, a lot of people have said their taste buds change after surgery so who knows what I might end up liking.

Bumped into a casual friend this past weekend that I hadn't seen since May (I had my surgery in September and I'm down 80lbs) in the parking lot of a local store.
I waved.
He stared at me blankly.
I walked over to him and his eyes were masks of confusion with not even the slightest bit of recognition.
"Matt... it's Rob, you f-ckin' drunk!"
"HOLY SHIT! MATE, WHAT THE F-CK HAPPENED TO YOU?"
Best reaction I've had. I'll never tire of that kind of thing.

Tummy done - now for the eyes lol
 
My eyes are still very swollen and tight but no pain at all, even right after the op which surprised me!
Kate

Just a little motivation for those of you just starting. If I can do it anyone can. It takes work, everyday good choices, but the sleeve helps!!!
I love that even when I mentally crave something outside my normal eating routine, the smallest portion fills me up and I'm satisfied.
A few pics. First before and after VSG. Second before and after 360 LBL. Still amazes me how can that be me!!!!!! But it is.
Best wishes to those starting your journey. You can do it!!!!
 
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The goal of eating isn't to always feel full. I really don't get why people chase this idea around constantly. You should be able to measure out a portion, eat it, and leave the table satisfied. I hate having a full feeling. It's miserable. Why the hell would I want that every time I eat? There is a difference between head hunger and real hunger, and 95% of the time it's likely head hunger we're facing. That's part of the new lifestyle and learning to deal with that.

I'm 5 months post-op and I'm down 131 pounds. Starting at 470 and now 339.
For those who are on the fence about getting the surgery, or have just gotten it and are hoping it works for them, let me tell you, if you follow your doctor's advice, it will work.
I hardly get hungry anymore and when I do and eat, I get full almost instantly. As soon as I do feel satisfied, I feel that I can't eat another bite, which is something I never experienced before having this surgery. In the past, even if I was full, I could keep eating and stuff myself. I know now, that if I did that I'd get nauseous so I STOP when my body tells me to. I have very few cravings too. This surgery has been a miracle to me. Weight loss isn't as fast as it was in the first month or so, but I do tend to lose around 3-4 pounds a week and I'll gladly take that. At this rate I'll be in the high 200s by Summer and to see my weight start with the number 2 will be amazing.

I'm pretty excited today, I'm officially half way to my goal weight (120lbs/5'2"). I'm down 50lbs (CW 170lbs) and have 50 more to go to reach my goal. The first 50 went so fast, it had been slowing down a lot, but still seeing results. My old clothes are fitting and my pains are gone. Even my Gerd went away, I was nervous that it would get worse with the surgery, but I have no more issues with acid reflux. I can finally have coffee now, but don't need it for energy anymore. It was hard adjusting to these changes at first, but I'm finally at a point where I can say this is the best decision I've ever made (or at least one of them lol).

This was one of my biggest concerns pre op. Actually they haven't changed at all thank goodness lol

You look absolutely amazing, definitely an inspiration. I have one question. I have a couple tattoos and I was wondering how yours are doing? Have they changed at all with your transformation?

So I am a year and two months post op. Thinking back, a year ago I was wondering if I made the right decision. I couldn't keep anything down, I was so exhausted, and it seemed like my surgery was more of a curse than a blessing. I couldn't eat without feeling overwhelmingly full. However, I weigh 135 lbs now and the saying is so true, nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. although I still vomit after eating, it doesn't happen as often. I have to be on prescription heart burn medication for my gerd and they completely control it if I stay on top of it and other than those two issues my body has adjusted to my new "tummy" fairly well. Of course there is the little things like how I get absolutely and completely drunk off of one glass of wine (such a cheap date haha) and how easily I get dehydrated but that's really the only down side. So if you are reading this and trying to decide if you want I go through with WLS or you are newly post op and feeling discouraged, i have a few important things to tell you. This surgery was the best decision that I have ever made. My quality of life and happiness is so much different. I can do things I've always wanted to do and I can go shopping and get "normal" sizes. This surgery is not an easy way out and it's going to be hard and at times you'll regret doing it, but, if you stick with it I promise you quality of life will improve so much. If you have any questions please feel free to message me, I'd love to answer any questions you may have.

Here's a pictures from one year apart.
I started my journey in January 2016 at 420 pounds. I only had one 6xl that shirt that fit me. My stomach was almost to my knees and was hard to walk. I had so many health problems pcos, thyroid, Autoimmunedisease, RA, pseudotumor and high blood pressure. I knew I had to change my weight. It was the cause of all my health problems. I decide to look into weightloss surgery for help with my weighloss. My insurance required me to do a 6 month supervised diet. I lost almost 80 pounds before surgery. Wasn't sleeved till July 2016. Since surgery I've drop over 70 pounds. I now weigh 273 pounds. This as been a amazing tool to help me on my journey. I no longer take any medication beside vitimans. All my health problems have went away. Down 147 pounds since January 2016 and now wear a 1x or 2x. I know I'm not anywhere near goal weight, but im halfway there. Losing weight is never easy, but not giving up is harder.
HW: 420 (January 2016)
CW: 273 (March 2017)
Instagram: vsg_queendiet

Well today was a pretty kick-ass day!
Officially down 75 pounds in a little over three months, it's almost like magic! Also today for the time down below 240 for the first time in a looong time.
And foodwise, for dinner I FINALLY made a cauliflower Pizza Crust that didn't fall apart!
I did a few things differently, so I don't know which it was. Instead of grinding up a head of cauliflower, we bought some pre-packaged cauliflower rice at costco. Steamed it in the bag per the instructions on the bag. Drained the Water really well - last time I tried using paper towels to smush the water out while the cauliflower was in a strainer and that was just a disaster. A buddy of mine suggested putting it in a strainer, and then using a bowl to push the water out - worked much better!
Added two eggs, 1/2 cup of part-skim shredded mozzerella, 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese, some salt, garlic powder and italian seasoning, 2 eggs, mixed together in a bowl and then shaped into a circle on a baking sheet with some parchment paper. Baked at 425 for 25 minutes, flipped it over and baked for another 7 minutes. Flipped again, onto the pizza stone, added 1/2 cup of sauce, 1/2 cup of mozzerella, back in for 14 minutes. And DELICIOUS! I cut into quarters and one piece filled me up. The numbers are great too, it's 221 calories a slice, 11 carbs, 12 fat, 15 Protein. And it tastes REALLY good.
So overall, great day!

Been away for too long! Everything is going great, hit some milestones. One I hit today - I'm down over 66 lbs in two and a half months. When I did Weight Watchers about 9 years ago, it took me about 9 or 10 months to lose the same amount - and then I put it all back on and then some No chance of that happening now though!
Also some non-scale victories. The big one - I can wear my wedding ring again! I had to stop wearing it for a long time, it just got too tight! Started wearing it again a few days ago, feels good.
Also cool - i have about 8 suits I rotate through for work. Before surgery, I was down to three I could wear, the rest were too small. And the three were getting a little tight too. Now, I wear all of them. The original three are way too big and I had to get them tailored. The other five are starting to get loose, going to need tailoring soon. That's a welcome expense, especially with what I'm saving on food.
Tonight I saw a recipe on Facebook I had to try, and I made a GRILLED cheese SANDWICH with cauliflower toast for bread, and turkey bacon. The toast wasn't as crunchy as I would have like, but not bad at all! I could actually only eat half, saving the rest for tomorrow. I'm attaching a pic for your enjoyment. Hope everyone is well!

Woo hoo, hit another milestone today, exactly 50 lbs. down since I started my pre-op diet on 12/7/16. This is great.

Found a way to get fluids and Protein, and a treat. Ordered popsicle molds and made my own orange creamsicle. I use Bariatic Advantage Orange Cream shake mix (27g Protein) and use 8 oz of Fairlife nonfat milk (13g protein) instead of Water. Mix well in blender. Makes 6 popsicles. It's a little thick, so I could not drink it as a shake, but great as a frozen treat. I usually eat 2 (13g protein) or 3 (20g protein) at a time for a snack. Plus it's a Meal Replacement shake mix, so has other nutrients. Also made with Bariatric Advantage strawberry, chocolate and iced latte flavors.

You might surprise yourself and never get to wear them. I dropped weight and skipped sizes. A lot of the stuff I wanted to wear was too big by the time I tried it.