Cheryl 13

I can relate so hard to all of the above but the biggest NSV for me recently was that a few weeks ago we discovered that my 10 year old can actually put his arms all the way around me when I hug him now! Now he loves to "trap" me in a hug! Could not be sweeter!!!

I have come to love morning workouts...I feel so accomplished and ready to start my day afterwards. I get up before anyone else in the house to go ride the stationary bike and it's my own private time to dedicate to me and being healthy. I also workout after my kiddo goes to bed.
3 days a week I spin for 30-45 minutes in the morning and then run on treadmill for ~30 minutes in the evening.
3 other days a week I do a 1 hour Crossfit class in the morning and then do 30 minutes of yoga in the evening.
1 day per week I ride the bike and then do some kind of cross training (bootcamp class, rowing, whatever).
But I have been told that I do *way* more than the average WLS patient. I do it because I enjoy it though not because I *have* to. This is the part of my life that was missing/unavailable at a higher weight!

Gatorade Zero make a Protein version that is 2 birds with one stone.
Also, I plan out my entire day's food the night before using My Fitness Pal. That way I know what I'm going to have and that I met my protein/fat/carb goals for the day. Other than dinner, I will even get everything out and portioned and ready to go so that my breakfast, lunch, and snacks are all packed and ready to roll.

These dumbbells were delivered to me yesterday that I had ordered on Wal-Mart.com. I wasn't expecting them until tomorrow.
I'm looking forward to incorporating these into my fitness routine.
I do 90 minutes a day of cardio. But sometimes at home in the afternoon I do more cardio and I've been using soup cans to add resistance. Now I have 3 lb, 5 lb and 8 lb weights to use.
I found some great arm toning 10-minute workouts on YouTube.
Naturally I can do some heavier lifting and use the strength training machines at the gym, but these small light dumbbells are just for home incidental use when I have a few extra minutes and some extra energy to enhance my gym workout.
While I would actually like to add some arm muscle, I guess I'd be happy to just tone what I already have.

Gatorade Zero make a Protein version that is 2 birds with one stone.
Also, I plan out my entire day's food the night before using My Fitness Pal. That way I know what I'm going to have and that I met my protein/fat/carb goals for the day. Other than dinner, I will even get everything out and portioned and ready to go so that my breakfast, lunch, and snacks are all packed and ready to roll.

I usually find them in the Meijer refrigerator section. I think the Outer Aisle website lists stores that carry them.
https://www.outeraislegourmet.com/pages/find-a-store

Finally broke the 300 mark, and now weighing in at 296 as of today. First time in the 200's in 20+ years. Never thought i could do it, the sleeve is the ticket. I have started walking in the last two months, and i'm up to 3.5-6 miles a day walks. When did everyone else start lifting weights?
A friend of mine told me she thought my face lost a lot of weight. Until i saw the pic on the left in my facebook memories, i didn't believe it. Now i do.

Coming up on 2 years post op and life has never been better. The gastric sleeve opened up a world to me that i thought would never exist. Ive learned so much about health, nutrition and exercise, that i wouldnt have if i didnt take the first step with the sleeve. I have a healthy relationship with foods now. I try to keep myself to the 80/20 rule. But i probably am closer to 90/10. Make good choices 80% of the time, and enjoy some of my favorite things the other times. Its funny tho, a lot of my favorites have no become healthy choices. So that makes life easier. I started this journey first just focusing on losing the weight. So for the first year i ran a lot and set a goal to run a half marathon. i completed that last may and then began to switch my focus to putting on muscle. This was hard because it meant i had to up my calories which for anyone in our situation, is a scary thing. So i bought a WHOOP strap and really dialed in how many calories i was burning and spoke with my nutritionist about a plan to get where i wanted to go. (whoop strap is apparently the most accurate fitness tracker out right now and ive found that my apple watch says i burn 800 more calories then the whoop says. just a heads up. IT wasnt easy but ive been doing it and got on a great routine. My lowest weight was 208. i now hover between 225-230. i weigh every few weeks but dont get too obsessed with the scale anymore. i know that if i stay within my calories that im fine. Its been a process and i had to learn a lot. it wasnt all easy but 110% worth it. This surgery opened a whole new life for me. I am extremely greatful.

I hit the next goal!

Down 101 lbs. 5 months post sleeve, 1 week post Gall Bladder removal ( Cholecystectomy).

HW 264
SW 235
CW 163
GW 130-145

Ok ready to post my final before and after photos. Before is around 350lbs, 3 or 4xl shirt. My highest ever confirmed weight was 356 and this was very close to that date in 2014. The other is today, wearing a size medium shirt. Surgery was June 12, 2020, weight 334lbs, 6’4” BMI 40. I hit this weight (193) about 10 months post op and have been maintaining fairly evenly since (up a couple down a couple etc). For anyone on the fence about surgery, do your research but don’t let the scary stories you read here overwhelm you or give you a false sense of their frequency. Yes, bad things can and do happen in any endeavor. No one has a crystal ball, but the statistics of health issues from being obese and the statistics of coming through gastric surgery safely and enjoying positive results speak for themselves. I never dreamed I would feel this good again. I didn’t even think I was that fat…. Just a “big guy.” Looking back at old photos I’m mortified. Looking forward I’m so optimistic and full of life and joy. I feel like this is the “me” that has always been in there, hiding, hoping, waiting to come out. What “you” do you have inside longing to come out and face the world?

I can relate so hard to all of the above but the biggest NSV for me recently was that a few weeks ago we discovered that my 10 year old can actually put his arms all the way around me when I hug him now! Now he loves to "trap" me in a hug! Could not be sweeter!!!

I can relate so hard to all of the above but the biggest NSV for me recently was that a few weeks ago we discovered that my 10 year old can actually put his arms all the way around me when I hug him now! Now he loves to "trap" me in a hug! Could not be sweeter!!!

That would be the pre-op diet talking! The pre-op diet is truly a miserable experience - but temporary and necessary.
Surgery changes not only the size of your stomach but also the hunger hormones generated there. Personally, at 3 months out I have not had any issues with drinking water or vomiting, dumping, swallowing meds, or GERD etc. These are all things that are possible but I'm not sure how common. The problem with a lot of online resources is that people often come here when there is a problem or a question and we don't think of all the success stories that don't necessarily write in.
If you are uncomfortable in any way you can always write/call your doc and ask how likely these thing are in patients he has seen.

I am 11 months post op gastric sleeve. My highest weight ever was reached in June of 2019 and I was horrified to weigh in at 502 lbs! I didn't believe it and requested the doctor to re-weigh me. That was my first wake-up call. I was suffering from very high blood pressure, debilitating back pain/spasms, knee pain and damage, sciatica, and sleep apnea. I started doing keto and got down to 415lbs. During COVID quarantine, I gained back up to about 459lbs.
In July of 2020, I finally decided to take back my life and financed a vertical sleeve gastrectomy surgery (out of pocket, since insurance would not cover it).
As of yesterday, I'm down to 275 lbs. I have gone from a 6xl shirt to a 2xl. From size 62 pants, to a size 44. I still struggle to see myself as anything but fat from time to time, but it's the Non-Scale Victories (NSVs) that keep me going! My only regret is not doing this sooner. Sometimes I wish I could go back and re-do certain life experiences without the extreme morbid obesity.

Here's my running list:
- I’m off of all medications (including 2 BP meds). - No more seat belt extension on airplanes - Seats with arm rests are no problem. - Restaurant booths are now no problem - I can fit in an MRI machine (if needed). - I can now walk ANYWHERE without debilitating back pain. - The car steering wheel no longer rubs my stomach. - I can shop in most “regular” stores for clothes. - I no longer worry about a seat being able to hold me (those plastic white ones at weddings are even ok now). - I can use my own step ladder to do things around the house like change a light bulb. - I can sit with my legs crossed. - I can now get down on the floor. - My “love life” has drastically changed/Improved. - too many to list! Notice there is a lot of use of the word “CAN” here? All in less than a year. The little black battery operated box on the floor cannot control me any longer! Yea, it’s still important. But weight is no longer the defining characteristic of my life. Sleeved 7/23/20. HW 502, SW 459, CW 275, GW healthy

I can relate so hard to all of the above but the biggest NSV for me recently was that a few weeks ago we discovered that my 10 year old can actually put his arms all the way around me when I hug him now! Now he loves to "trap" me in a hug! Could not be sweeter!!!

I can relate so hard to all of the above but the biggest NSV for me recently was that a few weeks ago we discovered that my 10 year old can actually put his arms all the way around me when I hug him now! Now he loves to "trap" me in a hug! Could not be sweeter!!!

I can relate so hard to all of the above but the biggest NSV for me recently was that a few weeks ago we discovered that my 10 year old can actually put his arms all the way around me when I hug him now! Now he loves to "trap" me in a hug! Could not be sweeter!!!

I can relate so hard to all of the above but the biggest NSV for me recently was that a few weeks ago we discovered that my 10 year old can actually put his arms all the way around me when I hug him now! Now he loves to "trap" me in a hug! Could not be sweeter!!!

I can relate so hard to all of the above but the biggest NSV for me recently was that a few weeks ago we discovered that my 10 year old can actually put his arms all the way around me when I hug him now! Now he loves to "trap" me in a hug! Could not be sweeter!!!