CyndieRI

Movies, mini golf, bowling, beach, romantic walk, escape room

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.

My granny said as many others have;
You have to stand up for something
Or you'll fall for anything.
Complacency equals Acquiescence

This isn't short, but the part that debunks "just eat less and exercise" is at the beginning, in case they give up part-way through: https://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/everything-you-know-about-obesity-is-wrong/
This is about the Biggest Loser folks and why they almost all regained: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/6-years-after-the-biggest-loser-metabolism-is-slower-and-weight-is-back-up/
Also, I'll be the hold-out on this thread and tell you: you do not have to tell your family you're having weight loss surgery. I haven't told all of mine, and I won't. Yes, they'll need to know you had abdominal surgery, so that they understand why you need help with some stuff around the house, but there are a lot of organs in the abdomen.
If you do choose to tell them, I hope it's because you have reason to believe they'll come around to being supportive and not because you feel like you have no other option ❤️

Well CyndieRI, we are about the same size, let's see how we can rock this 🌏world! Watch out folks, 2 very pretty women👸👩are coming through!

I’m just a week ahead - had mine October 10th!! 👍

Good luck!! Hope everything goes well!!!

28 days ago I had my sleeve done. After 1 year of getting ready for it, the day finally arrived. My significant other well lets just say he isnt very emotionally intelligent and over the last 13 years I have been with him through 11 medical procedures he needed some were in hospital some were out patient. I always put him first , and took care of him what ever he needed. I am really getting very frustrated I feel he is just in my way of healing now, not physically but mentally and emotionally. He is not emotionally supportive at all, I really am in this all alone. I try to stay positive, I have made a major life change and rather than him having my back he would rather rant and rave with his emotional outbursts. I try to be patient as I know he struggles with some mental health issues. There are just those days when I want to say Seriously do you have any clue what I have just gone through and what I continue to go through. I am so drained when I wake up in the morning,. I need time to just get my head on right. I immediately take care of our Dog, getting her fresh Water, food and take her out to do her business. I then try to get my Vitamins and meds in me, drink some liquid and take my blood glucose. But then here he comes complaining there is nothing to eat for breakfast...........which translates to he wants his huge hot Breakfast eggs, bacon, toast or grits etc which now just the smell makes me ill. If he doesnt get his way then he is just moody and very short tempered all day. So to avoid the constant emotional rollercoaster, i stop what I am doing and make breakfast, I sometimes then forget to take meds or vitamins, it takes me longer to get ready in the morning, not as quick since the surgery as I was before. Yes I know I should kick him to the curb ( and I only stated a mild case ) but financially I cant afford to do that right now, I am really stuck with him. SORRY just needed to say this "out loud " I am just emotionally exhausted from him. Thank you anyone that reads this. I appreciate the listening ear

Hi everyone! It ended being the gallbladder and one of the stones of the gallbladder is blocking the fluids to the pancreas and I have pancreatitis too😩. So I’m having an endoscopy for the blocking stone and the gallbladder removed later on today.
thanks for your support. Wish me luck!

This is where you can educate them, because clearly they don't know wtf they are talking about.

The other day my mom and cousin (who don't have any idea I have been pursuing weight loss sugury) were bad mouthing weightloss sugury.
(They saw an article about it in a magazine)
My cousin said, "your body has intestines for a reason! Those people who cut out their intestines can't absorb all their nutrients, and they throw up and have all kinds of problems. They're gonna do more harm then good!"

Mom: "yeah, my friend had that and she can only eat baby food and stuff"
Cousin: "yeah! See? People must be despret to be thin to ruin your health and live on baby food"
Mom: "well, she had a lot of health problems, so she kinda had to, and they spent more then a year on tests and counciling to get her to qualify"
Cousin: "yeah, you'd have to! And you can never be normal, never have one potato chip for the rest of your life, never go to restraunts..."

I didn't say anything. I know I should have but this is a deep issue for me. I did that thing where you are listening intently but pretending you don't hear...

brings not bribes, just being with you is so cool- You're my guy you know!

Say I really don't mind the no drinking and being with you bribes me more joy than booze ever could!

Go hiking, walk instead of driving somewhere. Go to concerts, do you share musical tastes? Go fishing or something he enjoys and hopefully he will reciprocate. If not , YOU TRIED!

Hmmm 🧐 interesting to know. I’ll check today how I feels if not I’m definitely make myself check in the hospital. Thanks 😊

@CyndieRI and @Frustr8 i do have my gallbladder. I’ve never had liver problems or gastric ulcers.
I’ve heard the gallbladder pain starts close to the belly bottom and immediately the pain goes down in the very lower belly right side.
This pain is up right under my rib... when I put ice in the front where the stitches are and heat in the back it disappears the pain probably in a 70% but when I stand up and forget about the ice and continue normally then it comes again. The only way I feel kind of good is being still like sleeping beauty in my bed not moving, not on my side just laying straight 😓
I’ll keep you guys posted to see how I’m doing by tomorrow.thanks

Nikki - I had sleeve surgery last Wednesday (10/10) and came home Friday because I was vomiting so much. Once the nausea and heartburn subsided (Monday) I have been SOOOO hungry! I wondering if they didn’t take enough of my stomach! I’m looking forward to next week when I have my follow up appointment so I can talk to my doctor!

Welcome to the site! This is a very supportive and friendly community!

Everything you are feeling is totally normal! I had my sleeve on 10/10 and I was FREAKING OUT before then! But I just kept thinking - being morbidly obese is killing me. I am literally saving my life by having the surgery! Just relax and trust in your decision! Good luck!!

I’ve told many people about my sleeve surgery (10/10/18). Some were supportive and some were not. I found it an excellent tool to weed out the negative people in my life!! If you can’t be happy for me in my journey to get healthy, then I really have no desire to have an ongoing relationship with you! (Thank God it wasn’t anyone like my husband or mother!!) And that is my favorite thing about this group. Everyone is SO supportive of one another and I just LOVE it!! ❤️

Some inspiration for all of you!! I was sleeved oct 1 and was feeling a bit down because the scale hasn’t moved much since surgery. Just tried on my slacks for work next week and they were too small and now they are baggy and hanging off me!!! 😁

I’ve told many people about my sleeve surgery (10/10/18). Some were supportive and some were not. I found it an excellent tool to weed out the negative people in my life!! If you can’t be happy for me in my journey to get healthy, then I really have no desire to have an ongoing relationship with you! (Thank God it wasn’t anyone like my husband or mother!!) And that is my favorite thing about this group. Everyone is SO supportive of one another and I just LOVE it!! ❤️

So sorry you are going through this! My surgeon handled the insurance and it was approved easily - but I don’t really know much about that. I will say this - the pre-op diet WILL get easier! The first 3-4 days were hell, but then my body adjusted to it and it was much better! I’m sending positive thoughts that your approval will come quickly!!

Hey guys, haven't been here for a while and thought I'd check in. Still losing slowly but surely. Ladies, stay away from wine and other new addictions that might take over where food once reigned! Lol. Keep to your goals and do you. Every journey is different so never compare yourself to others. At 18 months postoperative I thought I would have figured it all out by now. That is not the case. I still am mindful of my Protein and calories intake as well as liquids. Still on my Quest for Vitamins that I can settle on (have tried gummies, pills, patches). Still eat with my eyes and have to remind myself food is simply fuel and not a party. Still have to remind myself I have lost the weight and to stop ordering 3 sizes too big because it might not fit. The list goes on but wherever you are in your journey, you are doing great and you will reach your goal. Might not be tomorrow but keep working at it and you will get there. Most importantly, if you have an off day, dont beat yourself up about it and continue forward. For those of you dealing with naysayers of all sorts, I say do you. Your future self will thank you for it. Who I am now am very thankful for the me 18 months ago. My pictures below say it all. I got to a point where I was so miserable, I rarely took pictures and continued eating myself to death because it was my escape. I posted preop pic, one year anniversary, and most recent. Good luck everyone.Take care and Aloha!
Flo
Surgery Day: 4/11/17
HW: 312
PreOp after 2 week liquid diet: 302
PostOp at 18 mths: 219  
Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

People who are skinny,healthy,been skinny there whole lives dont get it.When I was 450 lbs 11 years ago I lost 105 lbs with good nutrition and lots of exercise and did in 6 months.I felt like I could take on the world even at 345lbs.I gained it all back plus 45lbs in 11 years cause I allowed my self to go back to bad habbits.I was one who thought people who did WLS were people who were just taking the easy way out.Well after lots of resurch and talking to people I know who have had either sleeve or gastric bypass WLS is not the easy way out and you can and will gain the weight back if you dont change the way you eat and look at food fot the rest of our lives.This is my opinion cause I do not live in fantasy land.This is going to be a lifstyle change and if you do not follow the rules mark my words you will fail.Weather it is a year or five years this is not a quick fix.People reading this and some of you are like me unhealthy and have medical troubes like myself this might possibly be your last chance to save or greatly prolong your life.Please look at WLS as a gift to help yourself and who cares if people know .Anyone who cares about you 100 percent will respect your decision and be supportive and if they dont then you probably dont need them in your life.I wish everyone good luck with their journey .