Aliya78

I had moments of anxiousness before the surgery, but in hindsight, I wouldn't change a thing. I flew to Monterrey on 2/13, met that day with Dr. Sauceda to go over what he was going to do and get my mark up done, had surgery on 2/14, stayed in the hospital for two days, then stayed at the hotel right near the hospital until 2/24. Dr. Sauceda's nurse (who is an absolute dream!) came in every day to help with bandaging, compression garments, bathing if you need help, etc. Having that 10 days of recovery before having to fly back to CT was exactly the right amount of time. I would not hesitate to do it all again.

I want to have a bath in a normal bathtub, ride horses again, learn to climb those rock walls, go shopping for normal clothes, not be looked at, fit easily in economy on flights, not be the big girl in the group.

That should be loads of fun! Multi-day trip?

I totally understand this. I felt the same way on the beginning. I was down 80lbs and no one said much and then at around 100lbs people started saying things all the time. And then funny enough this last 34 I’ve lost everyone myself included can see so much more of a difference than from when I lost the first 100lbs. Sometimes people aren’t sure why your losing and are hesitant to say anything. People will notice. If nothing else the way you carry yourself and increase in Confidence which naturally comes with weight loss. Congratulations on losing that amount of weight. [emoji173]️

Well, this is my first post on the forum. I have always came and read through the comments and looked for motivation as I go through my journey. What made me decide to get the gastric sleeve was when i had blood work done and it showed i was pre diabetic. I already had high blood pressure and a bad back, but now i am going to be diabetic. I said to myself that it was time for a change. I talked to my doctor and he recommended that I get the sleeve done. So I talked to my insurance to see if it would be covered and it was. I am now a little more than 5 months out and have lost about 92 pounds. I have been taken off my high blood pressure medication and my back is actually feeling so much better.

I have to say this to anyone who is nervous about the surgery. I was scared, but it was well worth it. I only took the pain meds for about 2 days and didnt even need it after. I was up and walking within an hour of waking up.

I know when I was recently post-op I wanted to know what my life would be like after the dust settled, so to speak. When I had surgery I was 56 years old, at a weight of 234 lbs and a BMI of 35.6. I wore a size 22 dress and size 10 shoes (I'm 5'8). Dr. Alberto Aceves did my sleeve in Mexico (a 36 trochar) and repaired a large hiatal hernia. I was self-pay. After my surgery I lost my hunger and also developed some food aversions. I lost 102 lbs over about ten months. I followed the post-op instructions as well as I was able although some days I was not able to drink all my Protein. When I graduated to solid foods I learned that regular bread seemed to ball up in my stomach and it felt awful. So did noodles. chicken made me vomit. I ate lots of shrimp and steak. I ate no Desserts other than baked custard that I usually ate for Breakfast.
As my weight stabilized at 136, I had much more energy. I mostly walk and hike in summer, and swim indoors and ski in winter, but I am certainly not a fanatic. However, it is considerably easier to breathe and move almost 100 lbs. lighter than I was. Bad habits, though, can creep back. My hunger is still gone, but I have a tendency to eat when I am bored. It's easy for portion sizes to increase, so I consciously use my food scale and measuring cups. Also, my sweet tooth came back. I still can't eat cake (see bready things above) but let me tell you, chocolate candy and Cookies go down just fine. But, I can easily lose five pounds in a few days when I am busy and out of the house and so I have managed to stay under 140 lbs (and size 6) since my surgery. (Oh, and I went down half a shoe size!)
To this day I cannot eat too fast or it comes right back up. I still get the slimies but rarely--usually when I am very hungry and eat too fast. I can't eat bread easily, although toast is fine. I cannot eat salmon, tuna, or other fish that dries out in the cooking process. I frequently use sauces to slide dry food down and I have learned to cook in ways that preserve the moisture in food. eggs are iffy--sometimes I can eat them, other times not. Vegetables are fine if the pieces aren't too big. Crunchy things, like crackers, chips, and apples, are fine, although I avoid the chips except at parties. If I have them here I will eat them, but out of sight, out of mind. That is the difference between pre-surgery and post-surgery for me. Before surgery, I thought about food ALL THE TIME. I would be eating breakfast and thinking about what to eat for lunch and dinner. If I had to go out I had a "snack" in my purse. If I traveled, I carried food with me and bought food in airports and roadside quickie-marts besides. Now I don't think about food except when the clock tells me it's mealtime or if I get a little light-headed because I've forgotten to eat.
There have been some drawbacks to surgery. I can't give blood anymore because it takes too long to replenish my Iron stores from food alone and iron supplements irritate my sleeve. I developed GERD about a year after surgery and have to take a PPI daily. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis this year--I had some risk factors unrelated to the sleeve, but a year of malabsorption/malnutrition probably didn't help, despite the liquid calcium citrate I took.
All in all, surgery was the right choice for me. It did not change my life, but it changed my relationship to food, and for that I am profoundly grateful. I have so much more time to devote to other interests instead of thinking about what I'm going to eat next. I wish you all the best and hope to read your success stories in a few years.

OMG...I thought it was just me. I was starting to get concerned!

HW: 265
SW: 250
CW: 188

Wow you look fabulous well done

10 months post op progress picture:
HW- 301 (July 2016)
SW- 271 (12/30/16)
CW- 188 as of today. I'm bouncing between 185 and 188
5'10"

Latest before and after pic! I’m officially down 109lbs from my highest weight. 6 months since surgery. I’m feeling better everyday! went to Disney and took in a shirt I wore here in December. I got the chance to recreate the pic and I feel so damn good seeing the transformation!
Before: Size 24 and 3X
Current: Size 14 and L

Surgery was 10/03, I'm down 26.4 lbs as of today. My weight loss is slow, but my body is slimming down. Everyone looks amazing!!



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98 Pounds down!
65% of excess body weight gone
Lifting weights, HIT and yoga
More energy, vitality and aliveness!

4 months today and a total of 92 lbs gone I have had to do another round of clothes shopping I have gone from a size 46 to a 36 I haven't been in a size 36 jeans sence I was 12 30 years ago and gone from a 3x top to a l/xl


Hw 325 cw 237 Sw 292 gw 190

Hi everybody. Just checking in. I was sleeved June 19 and have lost 50. The rate of loss has slowed, but that's OK. I am learning how to eat all over again and settling into what works for me. I won't say that I never cheat, and there are still a couple of behaviors that are not helping me, but I AM SO GLAD that I did this. I love going "shopping" in my old wardrobe and finding things that fit and are loose, even. I've had to buy pants twice. Bras are a little problematic because everything is so deflated in the chest area. But it's all good. The other night my Dad (who is pushing 90) said that he didn't understand how I could be pushing 62 when I look so much younger than I used to. I feel great and so much more free.

I had my surgery June 20th, 2017 and so far I am down 74 pounds. I'm currently 221 Pounds. I have quite a bit more to go but I'm getting there!

I'm a fan of magnesium pill. Have been taking 1 daily dose for two months now (after struggling with Constipation for 2 months after surgery) and it is making all the difference.

I’m in Wellington but have not found a group here either. Online support was useful for me. Good luck. Was Thailand a lot cheaper for you? As I stated earlier I paid $19,000 in Auckland.

Hi I’m also in Auckland and haven’t found a support Group as such, but there are people around from NZ on here who are helpful with questions.
Happy to email if you have any questions, but I’m 4 years post op and can tell you life does get back to normal and it was worth it for me.

So.. I'm just getting back from a week at Disney with my four year old daughter and hubby. So cliche, but we had a Magical Time. The last time I was there was approximately 15 years ago. I weighed around 250+. Since then, I had gained about 80 pounds. Well, I had RNY on March 8, 2017. (The best decision of my life.) I've since lost over 100 pounds. Today, I'm down to 193.4 from 292 on surgery day.
Anyway, back to my story. My first victory came on the plane. I was able to use the seat belt without an extender. You talk about excited. I didn't take the seat belt off even when the sign was off. I had extra room in my seat. After landing in Sanford/Orlando I thought wow, I don't have to turn sideways to get through the aisle. We then had to walk a long distance to get to Alamo rental cars. My husband was lagging behind and huffing and puffing. I could only think that would have been me just a year ago. I had to switch seats on the plane with my daughter because my husband was spilling over into my seat and not the other way around.
Now to the hotel. We didn't go anywhere that day. We just rested. When I took my shower I was able to wrap a regular sized towel completely around my body without gaps and things hanging out. I must have walked around in that towel for 2 hours. Actually I did this every day. Who ever thought a towel could bring so much joy.
On to Disney World......well the first day there we arrived around 10:00 AM and left about 10:00 PM. It was amazing. I was able to walk around for hours without being tired or in pain. By the end of the night I felt a little pain but nothing compared to before. My husband and daughter ate several times while we were there. I never ordered anything for myself. I knew I wasn't going to eat much. I just ate from their plates. This is a victory because #1 I saved us money and #2 Usually I would have ordered an entire meal and a sugary soda. (I haven't had a soda in 2017). I was able to do this for several days without the usual tiredness. The only thing I needed was Water. The second day my husband was too tired to go back to Disney. I went right back and stayed another 8 hours. I was also able to walk around the outlet mall for hours without needing to stop and rest. I brought new bras in a 36 C. Down from a 42 DD. They were actually sexy bras.
Now the rides. I remember riding things at Disney 15 years ago and not being afraid. Somehow I had convinced myself that I was afraid of rides.Before we left I told my family that I was going to ride every ride no matter how scary they were. I was going to ride just because I could fit in them. Now I know it was a fear of not being able to fit on the rides. I road several rides, even the kiddie rides with my daughter. I had room to spare. I was able to jump in and out of the rides like a little kid. It felt amazing.
I made fairly decent food choices while i was there. I must admit I took a bite or two of some things I shouldn't have but I was able to stop after those bites. It didn't affect anything though. I still lost 2.6 pounds this week. Yay me. Tomorrow its back to my usual healthy living.
My daughter hugged and thanked me a million times. She was able to get those tiny arms around my waist. No better feeling that that. I almost forgot I willingly took several pictures. I also wore a strapless dress and romper while there.
Sorry for the long post and the rambling. I was about to bubble over. I had to tell someone.

Best decision ever. Had some complications like nausea and Constipation for about 4 months but feeling much better. Left pic was 1 month post op right pic was taken today 10 months post op. Start weight 388 todays weight 259
Keep positive everyone and have faith in yourself. Dont compare yourself to others weight loss. U can do this! Xoxo 
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New pic- half way to goal. I keep taking pics in the same shirt- I posted before and an earlier pic in this thread.


Mich W
Hw 223, SW 217 CW 179.8 GW 135

Hi everyone!
Not sure if I've posted here yet but I was sleeved on June 16th. It's crazy to think it's almost been 4 months! I've lost about 60 pounds and I fit in XL clothes (almost L) and size 14 pants after being a size 22 almost 24 and wearing 2XLs. It's been surreal! The before picture is actually after my surgery in Mexico and I was already about 8 pounds down... sadly I don't really have a true before picture.
I honestly haven't been the best about keeping track of my Protein and calories but I'm pretty sure at first I wasn't doing so well maybe 500 a day now I think I'm at about 1000. I was originally very low carb but am now whole food plant based and have found that I've actually lost weight on it and really enjoy what I'm eating rather than always doing 'protein first' and basically only ever being able to eat meat.
Anyway I'm still working on it! I have to say it was a shock when I tried on pants and was a size 14. I mentally really thought I was the same size and was putting off shopping until the very last second.
But it's really cool to see where everyone else is at! Although it's been hard, I don't regret this decision for a second.

Hello everyone! Hows everyone doing?! I was 14 weeks post op yesterday ... hard to believe it's that long ... I sometimes can't believe I went through with it! Currently at a stall hoping to get past it soon! Driving me nuts :-) Here is my progress so far ... January vs Last week!

I'm June 27th surgery. Down 65lbs. I eat about 700-900 a day. But said not to go under 700. I get about 80g of protien. I stalled for about 3 weeks but back to losing. My biggest issue is Hair loss.

before
after
So very happy, vertical gastric sleeve
April 14, 2016. The day my life changed for
the
best