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I just told my boss I needed surgery and that I would be out 1-2 weeks. That's all they needed to know.

I just told my boss I needed surgery and that I would be out 1-2 weeks. That's all they needed to know.

I just told my boss I needed surgery and that I would be out 1-2 weeks. That's all they needed to know.

You must have an Iron sleeve! It would literally take me all day to eat one slice! No joke!

My friend was sleeved 8 years ago. When I met her she was tiny (18 BMI). Over the last few years she’s begun gaining. She looks lovely. Better than at 18 BMI, for sure but getting to a point that worries her. I’m sure she’s not overweight but certainly larger than when I met her after her 100lb weight loss. We recently talked about it. For her it comes down to having more room and not making good choices to fill it. Not being vigilant...getting lazy.
WLS isn’t a cure, it’s a bandage..we still have to pay close attention to healing the body and focus a lifetime of effort on the chronic disease...even when we no longer show the outward symptoms.

I totally agree. I'd start all my meals with a huge salad, then have plenty of "healthy" foods. I was totally within plan, but got used to eating a huge amount of food. Over time, you just get used to thinking that you're eating a "normal" amount of food when that isn't the case at all. I think WW works best for people who don't have huge appetites, but tend to eat high-fat or high-sugar foods.

first I use a smaller plate. It is a learning curve to eat not only less, but to stop when you need to stop. it takes practice. I also set aside food just for me, in portions that work for me. it makes it easier. If the portion is too small and you need more, that's an easy fix. Easier than finding out you ate too much, too late. Take your time and you'll learn what works.

Agreed. Im going to try it with a friend. Weird confession time: i don’t mind working out at all, but i hate classes. Something about being a room full of strangers creeps me out. So trying this would be new for me.

They will let you try it free for a week. It’s important to find something you enjoy. It’s easier to go if you enjoy the people

A lot of stomach fat is deep inside mixed around the organs. You could be losing there and not seeing it on the outside yet. It’s amazing where we can pack the fat! Losing it around the organs is really good though as that visceral fat is really dangerous. Keep up the good work!

Hello fellow sleevers. I have been on this site very little in the past couple of years but have logged in today to respond to a question. Since I'm here, I feel obligated to tell you all the things I've learned after 5 years.
1. The people that told me my approach to living life with the sleeve was all wrong and that I would fail, gain weight in a few years, stretch my sleeve, and regret my actions are mostly gone now. I have seen a couple of them around but the most are long gone. Do not pay much attention to the know-it-alls. They know no more than anyone else and are just as likely to fail.
2. Obviously you want to follow your Dr's instructions but don't get too hung up on strict rules and diets. If you make reasonable decisions and balance your good and bad food choices, your sleeve will do most of the work for you. I have eaten anything I wanted since day one. I try to pay attention to Protein etc., but I do not deny myself anything. You have the sleeve for a reason. Let it do it's job. Don't force it to hold more than it can and do not deny yourself the things that make you happy. Balance - just do it.
3. WLS is much more than losing weight. It is getting to the bottom of the issues that cause us to compensate with food in the first place. Pay more attention to your mental well being than the numbers on the scale. Your long term success depends on it.
4. Know that even after you reach your goal weight you will still be the same person with the same insecurities. Being thin changes nothing. If you did it for health reasons then hopefully those will no longer be an issue, but the person you are and how you feel inside doesn't change from losing weight. That has to change on the inside. No way around it.
5. Know that once you have made the necessary changes inside and out there will be some people that don't relate to you the same or just plain don't like you anymore. Also know that what they think is completely irrelevant . Physical and mental changes for the better intimidate those with small minds. Don't give them a second thought.
Thanks for reading.

I agree, don't buy too much. I threw out and gave away WAY more food and drinks than I actually ate/drank.
You will totally overestimate how much you will be eating/drinking.
You also don't know what you will like or tolerate post surgery. For instance, I became intolerant of whey Protein 4 weeks post op. I gave away hundreds of dollars worth of powders and bars!

sugar free popsicles! Sometimes they were the only thing I felt like having the first couple of days.

what i am doing is mixing Water with regular Gatorade. I bought a lot of Gatorade so I will use it for my water. Thank you everyone for your responses.

I e started swimming. I actually have a coach and am learning the correct form. It is using every muscle in my body and has finally gotten me out of a long plateau. I highly suggest it. iWork out hard without the pain and it’s helping my arthritis.

Great job. You look awesome

I have a stand up desk and stand on a pillow - it's made of the same material as yoga balls and one can inflate it. Oh my does it work my legs. I do not know if it helps, but for me it is positive both as extra activity but also to spare my hips/knees from the hard floor.

Get another doctor. Some insurances have cut offs at 30,35,40 BMI. But they also have other qualifying issues called co-morbidities that lower the cut off BMI. Sounds like that doc just didn't want to bother doing the legwork of finding out what your insurance really needs for qualification. You can call your insurance and ask, they will tell you exactly what they need for an approval.

I've been using the PatchMD Patches, I buy the Band pack because I don't need the extra Iron. The Sleeve pack has a Multivitamin, B12 and a D3 with Calcium.
I also take a once a week 50,000 IU Vitamin D and a daily 10,000 IU Vitamin D. I also take 10,000 IU of Biotin and a dose of chewable Fiber in the morning.

That's it.

If you are going to increase anything, increase Water and Protein. In an average workout fencing, I burn 1700 calories over 3 hours. Normally I eat 1100 calories a day (I'm 2 years out). On the days I fence, I up my protein to 120 grams minimum and at least 120 ounces of water. I also add at least 500 more calories in - still leaving me with a deficit. Also, are you on a PPI for reflux. IN my first few months, when I went off the PPI, I felt what I thought was hunger but was really reflux.
And hydrate - Powerade Zero or G2 during those Zumba classes. It's vital.
Enjoy your workout!

My doctors cleared me end of week 2 to do 30 minutes of cycling (on flat roads) by week 4 I was cleared for Golf, running, and anything else I felt like doing. They only asked that i add in 1 extra Protein serving and monitor the color of my urine to make sure I was staying hydrated on the days I worked out. I don't push it, I listen very carefully to my body.

Great job on getting in activity. If you are working out as much as you posted you need energy to keep going. My nutritionist had me add more calories daily to keep up with my new routine. Talk to your bariatric team on this as well as how much activity you are getting in, I had to wait 6 weeks to be cleared for exercise beyond walking.

Best thing I did was meeting with a psychologist. I was able to figure out my triggers and change my attitude and focus to know I am worth it.

I'm 56. My beginning weight was 282. I had 6 months of supervised diet, 5 meetings with psychologist and surgery on 4/5/18. Today I am 201. I have finally learned food is fuel, not entertainment. I feel so much better and am so much more active. I have had a few stalls. I realized I need to drink half my weight of Water in ounces every day to lose weight (100 oz.). I have also changed up my exercise from walking and the gym to now swimming. I have a swim coach that is teaching me proper form and he is kicking my body into shape. Best decision of my life!!!!

I went back and read some of your previous posts.....you said "I ate 5 pieces of dark chocolate, some ice cream, and a chocolate chip cookie all in one day" and another post you mentioned eating a "brownie" and trailmix. It really sounds like working with someone in the therapy field to help you work through triggers and habits and understanding why you make those choices would really help you. It's a very hard journey (I am only week 5) and the biggest lessons I've had so far have been from understanding how I became this size in the first place, it's like going through withdraw. You can do this!